David Bier, the director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, testified today before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement. In the hearing titled “Restoring Immigration Enforcement in America,” Bier provided members of Congress with a compelling argument about why President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown undermines the enforcement of America’s laws, encourages illegal immigration, and threatens U.S. security.
He contrasted Trump’s policies with those of former President Joe Biden’s and the impact they had on immigration under the previous administration. He stated, “although Biden often acted too slow and too timidly in the face of this challenge, his actions were critical to saving the immigration system from the brink of near-total collapse.”
He also highlighted the argument against Trump’s plans in a recent blog post where he outlines five key factors showing the new policies will cut legal immigration more than illegal immigration:
- Trump’s past actions: During his first term, Trump reduced legal immigration sharply while illegal immigration rose.
- Higher baseline of legal immigration: Legal immigration is currently much higher than it was during Trump’s first term, providing more room for cuts.
- Lower levels of illegal immigration: Illegal immigration is now lower than when Trump left office. Bier writes “illegal entries are always much lower than legal entries, so even a small percentage cut from legal migration will be much larger than even a large percentage cut to illegal immigration.”
- Trump’s promises: Trump has vowed to impose stricter limits on legal immigration, particularly through the implementation of policies he couldn’t fully execute in his first term.
- Support from his base: Trump’s political supporters are largely opposed to expanding legal immigration, even for skilled workers.
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