John Manley, an immigration attorney based in Los Angeles with almost 30 years of experience, has grown weary of the prevailing notion that immigrants should ‘stand in line’ and ‘do it the right way.’
Manley emphasizes that for many from nations such as Mexico, navigating the legal immigration process is an arduous task, often deemed nearly impossible.
He poignantly remarked, ‘People are dying in line,’ elaborating on how some applicants face wait times stretching up to 150 years.
Manley shared a heart-wrenching story about a U.S. citizen from Mexico who, after waiting over 15 years for his two brothers to gain legal residency, ended up burying them rather than celebrating their transition to legality.
‘They’re trying their best. They’re waiting in line,’ he said, yet expressed disillusionment with a system seemingly designed to fail from its inception.
The immigration laws in the U.S. have remained largely unchanged for nearly four decades. However, the recent clampdown on unauthorized immigrants by the Trump administration has spurred some politicians to seize a potential opportunity for reform.
Economists, immigration attorneys, and scholars warn that without proper immigration reform, not only immigrants will face adversity but also certain sectors of the economy that rely heavily on their labor.
Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) is expected to introduce legislation aimed at providing a path to citizenship for 11 million immigrants who have resided in the U.S. for at least seven years.
Although the Republican-led House and Senate may stifle this bill, Padilla insists on the reintroduction due to a perceived ‘mood shift’ within Congress and across the nation regarding immigration.
In a similar vein, Representatives Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) have dusted off the Dignity Act, which proposes to offer legal status with work authorization to qualifying unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S. since before 2021.
For decades, bipartisan efforts to reform the immigration system have faltered, despite recognition of its outdated nature. Last fiscal year, only 3% of the 34.7 million pending green card applications were approved, as stated by David Bier, a researcher at the Cato Institute.
Padilla commented, ‘Given the extreme overreach of the Trump administration, I believe now’s the time.’
He described conversations with colleagues from both parties recognizing the importance of farmworkers and the urgent need for reform, despite the lack of political will for many years.
The Trump administration’s enforcement actions have left an indelible mark on the national consciousness, evoking empathy with visuals of families separated or workers being arrested outside home improvement stores.
A recent Gallup poll indicated a record-high 79% of U.S. adults believe immigration is beneficial for the country, contrasting starkly with last year when anxiety over immigration peaked, leading to the election of President Donald Trump, whose campaign was heavily focused on stringent immigration policies.
As of 2024, 64% of respondents in the Gallup poll still viewed immigration as a positive factor in the nation, while only 32% saw it negatively.
When asked about the Dignity Act, the White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated that President Donald Trump had not reviewed the legislation but had made his stance clear: no support for amnesty for illegal immigrants.
Across both Democratic and Republican administrations, the U.S. has allowed immigrants to take on essential roles in various industries, from agriculture to service sectors, yet Trump’s intensified enforcement has raised concerns over negative net migration, which is projected to occur by 2025.
The American Enterprise Institute published a paper suggesting that the monthly job growth and GDP may diminish by year’s end due to negative migration trends.
One of the report’s authors, economist Tara Watson of the Brookings Institution, noted that such a decline is unprecedented since tracking began in 1960.
Typically, about 1.2 million people migrate to the U.S. annually, with approximately 600,000 obtaining legal entry via green cards, while others come through unauthorized means or seek asylum.
However, the report forecasts a loss of as many as 525,000 people, potentially lowering GDP growth by 0.3% to 0.4%.
Watson described the possibility of negative migration as ‘shocking,’ emphasizing that ‘all of the growth in our labor force comes from immigration.’
She also pointed out that the U.S. workforce born domestically is dwindling.
‘If this trend continues, it could make the United States less appealing to academics, scientists, tech workers, and PhD students,’ Watson added.
The current immigration environment poses a risk of undermining the U.S.’s infrastructure for global talent, with potentially long-lasting negative ramifications for the economy.
On the other side of the debate, Ira Melhman from the Federation for American Immigration Reform argues that relying on low-wage immigrant labor deteriorates conditions for U.S. workers.
‘You can create self-fulfilling prophecies,’ he said, suggesting that if poor wages and working conditions dissuade Americans from applying for these jobs, it leads to a narrative that only immigrants are available for such positions.
His group champions ‘merit-based migration’ and aims to limit family-based or ‘chain migration’ except for immediate relatives.
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 prioritized admitting immigrants with family ties in the U.S., moving away from racially biased national-origins quotas that existed until the 1920s, which favored European immigrants.
Currently, about one million people obtain green cards annually through family links, job offers, lottery systems, or refugee/asylum status, with family ties being the primary avenue.
However, there are stringent caps on family-based green cards — 226,000 annually for those excluding immediate relatives — and 140,000 for employment-based green cards, which can further complicate matters.
Wait times for family-related applications are staggering, often extending into decades. For a case submitted for a Mexican sibling 24 years ago, approval may just be on the horizon, but wait times are now even longer due to increasing applicant backlogs.
Hiroshi Motomura, co-director at UCLA’s Center for Immigration Law and Policy, described a ‘mismatch’ between the economy and the legal immigration system that continues to create precarious situations for workers.
As economic demands grow, the legal avenues for migrants in search of work remain restricted.
Carl Shusterman, an immigration attorney with extensive experience, notes the evident presence of immigrants in various essential industries.
‘Go into any restaurant and look at who’s cooking the food, or you see who’s building the buildings in the fancy, fancy neighborhoods, or who’s mowing the lawns, or taking care of children,’ he said, pointing out that many of these workers are left without pathways to legalize their status.
The current immigration landscape highlights not only individual struggles but broader implications for the economy, underscoring the urgent need for substantial reform.
image source from：latimes
