William Weston: "A Nation That Runs On Immigrants Can't Afford To Run Short"

Highway sign warning drivers about illegal immigrants possibly running across the highway

Asserts the sociology professor and moderate Democratic blogger in Kentucky: "Immigrants are the main reason that our fertility rate is near replacement [unlike the vast majority of the developed world]. Immigrants have a somewhat higher fertility rate than the native born.  This bump seems to last only one generation, though, so we benefit from continued immigration."

He continues his commentary: "All of which argues to me that the U.S. has a strong interest now in making immigration easy. Likewise, we have a strong interest in making it easier to normalize the condition of migrants already in the country illegally.  Moreover, we have an even stronger interest in encouraging the permanent immigration of families, with their higher fertility rates, to insure that we have a sufficient nation — of citizens, as well as merely of workers — in the future."

Booker Rising response: All immigrants ain't created equal. I have no problems with immigration, provided that these immigrants: (1) legally enter the country; (2) have skills that further maximize America's strengths; and (3) play by America's rules and possess values similar to American values.