I’ve been spending a lot of time off of social media this year. Partially due to how chaotic and depressing social media tends to become during a Trump administration, partially due to the fact that I usually end up doomscrolling, and partially because I’m worried I’ll say something that will be used to get my company in trouble. We’re working on some defense tech applications that I think will make a big difference in the defense of our friends and allies in east Asia in case of a China war, but the current administration has shown a gleeful willingness to cancel useful programs when the people tied to them are deemed to be political enemies. So, I’ve mostly tried to bite my tongue on things. But frankly I feel a little bit like a coward for hiding my opinions when I feel the country is headed in a dangerous direction. So I figured, I’d use this blog to share my thoughts on policy/political topics that aren’t directly space/technology related (I’ll save those for Selenian Boondocks), realizing that almost nobody reads anything here, but that it still could very well be used against me at a future date. That’s a lot of preamble, and some of you are probably thinking I’m pretty paranoid, but I felt it needed to be said.
So I wanted to start with some thoughts on immigration, which has been fairly front and center under the current administration. I’m not going to try to organize this into a super long article, but here were some of my key thoughts on the topic:
Thoughts on illegal immigration:
- I’ll be honest that I think our immigration system is broken, and that the vast majority of illegal immigrants are people who are here because they want to work, raise families, and be part of the United States and the American dream. As a libertarianish sort, I really don’t see the value in deporting people who fall into this category, who while technically violating the law, are not actually harming and are in fact helping by being here.
- I also think that arresting and deporting people who came here legally, and while working the way through our broken immigration system made honest clerical mistakes, or missed paperwork deadlines, but who have otherwise been active, contributing members of society is particularly stupid, and morally bankrupt.
- That said, I can totally understand deporting non-US citizens who are here but who choose to hurt other people, whether through property crime or violence. While I think there’s a reason to consider mercy in cases where people made honest mistakes or were stupid and are willing to try to repair the damage they caused, I think that not enforcing laws against immigrants who hurt Americans is only going to turn more Americans against immigration, and hurt the many who are here not actively hurting others. Religion or culture should not be an excuse for harming others, whether citizens or other immigrants.
- I think that while the immigration system is broken, that leaving it broken is also not idea. I like how Frédéric Bastiat put it: “No society can exist unless the laws are respected to a certain degree. The safest way to make laws respected is to make them respectable. When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law.” I feel like in many cases our restrictive immigration laws do contradict morality (to say nothing of common sense or our national interests), and they should be fixed, not just ignored.
- One interesting example is Elon Musk. AIUI, he came here on a student visa (which doesn’t allow you to work), dropped out of school (which AIUI technically requires you to leave the country within 15 days if you don’t enroll in school somewhere else) and stayed and started a startup (which technically violated the terms of his student visa). At this point he was technically an illegal immigrant. He later filed for a green card and US citizenship, but both of those applications require answering a question of if you have ever violated the terms of previous visas or other immigration authorizations. Since he was granted a green card and eventual citizenship, we can assume that he probably lied on his application, which is also illegal. So, based on the evidence I’ve seen, there’s a very good chance that Elon was an illegal immigrant. Some on the left, after his cozying up to the Trump administration, even suggested he should be deported. But seriously, is there anyone in their right mind who really thinks our country would’ve been a better place with Elon deported? I have plenty of bones to pick with Elon on how he treats his employees, and companies he works with. I think his business ethics leave a lot to be desired. But I think you have to be a blinded ideologue to think the country would’ve been better had he been arrested and sent back to South Africa at any point in the journey. The thing I wish people on the right would recognize is that there are so many other people in this country who are also technically illegal immigrants, who also contribute to this great country, even if not in as visible or flashy of ways, and who also deserve that same level of grace.
Some immigration reform ideas I’d be in favor of:
- I know amnesty is a dirty word on today’s right, but I absolutely think that there should be a way for previously-arrived illegal immigrants, who are otherwise law-abiding, contributing members of their communities to get right with the law. I also don’t think they should have their pathway to eventual citizenship completely barred. I’m fine with making that path difficult, in a way for them to show that becoming a citizen of this country is something they’re really willing to work for.
- I’m generally against the idea of quotas on the number of work visas, or at least think they should be greatly increased. If there’s a lot of demand for labor, and people are willing to come here and work, why should the government be micromanaging who companies can or can’t hire? I can see blocking entry for people who have violent criminal records, or who currently have infectious diseases, but quotas are basically government micromanaging the economy. Also, if you make it easy for people to come when there’s work, it also makes it easier for people to leave if work dries up. When getting into the country is really dangerous and illegal, it incentivizes staying even if the work situation goes bad. But if you make it easy for workers to come and go, you’re less likely to see immigrants stick around if there isn’t work.
- I don’t think there should be a lot of visa types that don’t allow you to work, and I think that those few that might fit in that category (like short-term tourist visas) should have a way to convert to a working visa if you do find work. And I definitely think anyone here as a refugee or asylee should be allowed to work. Letting people in, but not letting them work is a recipe for creating a welfare weight on cities and communities, and generally turning people against immigration and refugees in general.
- As mentioned above, I actually do favor a path to citizenship even for illegal immigrants. I’m fine though with making their naturalization be something that is structured to directly benefit existing citizens more clearly. For instance, if someone who was given amnesty and allowed on a work visa wants to apply for a green card, maybe some requirement should be that they need to pay taxes, including social security and medicare/medicaid taxes for X number of years before they’re allowed to apply, with none of the social security payments they’ve made prior to getting their green card counting toward what they can take out later when they retire. I think many of them would still absolutely think it’s worth it, and ideas like that could help keep entitlement programs solvent. I’m also a fan of letting former illegal immigrants earn their way into a green card via public service, or service in the armed forces. I’m also fine with making demonstrating English proficiency be part of the required process.
I know these opinions aren’t popular. I’m not advocating for these things because I think it’s likely to be politically advantageous for me. As a libertarianish sort, I expect I’m always going to be a political minority, with or without more immigration. I just think these policies are the right principles. Let people come who want to work, enforce the law against those who actively choose to harm others, but only use deportation on those who choose to hurt rather than build, let people here work and be active members of their community, make it easier for honest people to come and to go as needed, continue to keep non-citizens ineligible for government welfare. Maybe I’m an unrealistic radical for believing these things, but I wanted to at least share my thoughts on the topic.