Priorities for U.S. Immigration

The participants in these roundtables debated the evidence and options for family, employment and humanitarian immigrant admissions, as well as, policy on enforcement in the interior of the United States and at the border. [...] Another concern relates to the so- called "deeming requirement," in which sponsors in the United States must prove they have sufficient income to support the immigrant newcomers without regard to the potential earnings ability of the immigrants to be admitted. [...] Border enforcement — The number of persons apprehended crossing the borders varies year to year with the numbers who attempt to cross into the United States and the effectiveness of interdiction efforts. [...] Despite political stalemate, there appears to be considerable consensus among experts and the public as to the contours of an immigration reform package: enforcement against unauthorized migration, measures to address the large population of undocumented migrants already in the United States, and new admission policies to enable the immigration system to respond more efficiently to future demand f. [...] 7 Although the United States is the largest country of immigration in absolute numbers and continues to attract the lion’s share of the brightest workers from around the world, the expert participants in the roundtables criticized current U.