The immigration issue affects virtually every American, directly or
indirectly, often in deeply personal ways. This guide is designed to
help people deliberate together about how we should approach the issue.
The three options presented here reflect different ways of understanding
what is at stake and force us to think about what matters most to us
when we face difficult problems that involve all of us and that do not
have perfect solutions.
This issue guide presents the following three options for
deliberation:
Option 1: Welcome Immigrants, Be a Beacon of Freedom
This option says that immigration has helped make America what it is
today- a dynamic and diverse culture, an engine of the global economy,
and a beacon of freedom around the world.
Option 2: Enforce the Law, Be Fair to Those Who Follow the Rules
This option says we need a fair system, where the rules are clear and,
above all, enforced. With an estimated 11 million people living in the
country illegally, our current system is unjust and uncontrolled.
Option 3: Slow Down and Rebuild Our Common Bonds
This option recognizes that newcomers have strengthened American culture
in the past. But the current levels of immigration are so high, and the
country is now so diverse, that we must regain our sense of national
purpose and identity.
