U.S. Immigration System in Need of Reform, Experts Say

The United States is facing a significant immigration challenge, with a high number of foreign-born residents in the country. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the U.S. has the largest population of foreign-born residents compared to any other nation.

Percentage of Immigrants

Statistics from the Census Bureau indicate that immigrants make up approximately 13.7% of the total U.S. population. However, the number of immigrants legally residing in the U.S. is significantly low, estimated to be less than 1% of those seeking permanent residency, as highlighted in research conducted by the Cato Institute.

Immigration System Distribution

Theresa Cardinal Brown, a senior advisor on immigration and border policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, notes that the U.S. immigration system primarily allocates 62.6% of permanent resident cards to family-sponsored immigrants, with only 21.1% designated for employment-based sponsorships, as reported by the Department of Homeland Security. The Cato Institute suggests that the probability of receiving a green card through employment sponsorship programs is as low as 1 in 1,500 for new hires in the U.S.

The Need for Reform

Experts emphasize the urgent need for reform in the U.S. legal immigration system to align with the country's economy. Theresa Cardinal Brown underscores that the limitations for the annual number of immigrants were last updated in 1990 when the U.S. population was smaller and the nature of work in the country was different.

Simon Hankinson, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, advocates for reforms that prioritize the immigration of individuals based on the economic needs of the United States.