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.
The US government essentially shut down immigration, at least
temporarily, during the coronavirus pandemic. But as our country begins
to reopen, difficult questions remain:
- Should we strictly enforce the law and deport people who are here
without permission, or would deporting millions of people outweigh
their crime?
- Should we welcome more newcomers to build a more vibrant and diverse
society, or does this pose too great a threat to national unity?
- Should we accept more of the millions of refugees and asylum seekers
fleeing gang violence and war, or should we avoid the risk of taking
in people whose backgrounds may not have been fully checked?
- Should our priority be to help immigrants assimilate into our
distinctively American way of life and insist they learn English, or
should we instead celebrate a growing mosaic of different peoples?
The concerns that underlie this issue are not confined to party
affiliation, nor are they captured by labels such as "conservative" or
"liberal."
The research involved in developing the guide included interviews and
conversations with Americans from all walks of life, as well as surveys
of nonpartisan public-opinion research, subject-matter scans, and
reviews of initial drafts by people with direct experience with the
subject.
About National Issues Forum
The National Issues Forums (NIF) is a network of organizations that
brings together citizens around the nation to talk about pressing social
and political issues of the day. Thousands of community organizations,
including schools, libraries, churches, civic groups, and others, have
sponsored forums designed to give people a public voice in the affairs
of their communities and their nation. For more information about NIF
and for additional publications, see NIF's website at www.nifi.org.
