Changing the Conversation: The Immigration Debate

As the saying goes, "If you don't like what they are saying, change the conversation." This wisdom rings especially true in today's complex discussions about immigration.

The Economic Impact of Immigration

A Bloomquist Media client, concerned that a broad crackdown on immigration will hurt the U.S. economy, commissioned this op-ed to steer the conversation toward their perspective on the immigration debate. The piece has appeared in newspapers across the country.

The Practical Argument for Immigration

Ethics, Norms and Empathy Aside, Hanging a "Closed" Sign on the Statue of Liberty Makes No Sense

If the United States wants to maintain its innovation edge, it must continue attracting the world’s hardest workers and best minds while building a lawful, modern immigration system.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) warns that the U.S. economy is on track to face worker shortages in the millions over the next decade. These gaps span industries from trucking and healthcare to advanced manufacturing and technology and research. When companies cannot find the workers they need, projects stall, productivity slows, and opportunities move elsewhere. Immigration alone will not solve America’s workforce problem, but it is an effective tool to deepen the labor pool.

The Congressional Budget Office projected in 2024 that higher immigration would increase the U.S. labor force by about 5.2 million people by 2033 and substantially raise economic output, adding trillions of dollars to GDP over the next decade. Such expansion would support stronger growth, higher productivity, and more opportunities for workers at every level of the economy.

Research also suggests that well-designed immigration policies can raise wages rather than suppress them. A 2025 analysis from the Penn Wharton Budget Model found that expanding visas for college-educated immigrants could lead to faster economic growth, lower federal debt, and higher wages across income groups. These findings show that innovation-driven immigration can benefit American workers by creating new industries and expanding economic output.

Newcomers also drive business formation in the U.S. While immigrants make up 14% of the U.S. population, they own around a fifth of U.S. businesses, according to the Small Business Administration. Immigrants and their children own roughly one-third of American enterprises.

Legal immigration does more than fill and create jobs; it powers innovation. Many of America’s most important industries, including AI and advanced medical research, depend on highly skilled talent drawn from around the globe. Engineers and researchers from abroad contribute to new technologies, start businesses and help keep the United States at the forefront of scientific and economic progress. With other countries aggressively competing for top talent, failing to modernize our immigration pathways risks ceding America’s leadership in emerging technologies and industries.

Of course, Americans expect an immigration policy that protects borders and serves the national interest. But simply throttling immigration cannot address the realities of a changing workforce or the global talent competition. The smarter approach is to modernize legal pathways that align with economic needs.

One example is the Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act (HR 5494), introduced by Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), which would allow foreign workers to be employed in areas and industries where jobs are hard to fill. The bill, introduced in September 2025, would address labor shortages in industries such as healthcare, hospitality, and construction by offering a three-year, renewable, non-immigration visa. The program would initially be capped at 65,000 visas. Policies like this recognize that economic growth and a lawful immigration system are not mutually exclusive goals.

The United States stands at a crossroads. Policymakers can either modernize immigration to reflect workforce realities and global competition, or allow outdated systems to slow economic growth and weaken America’s innovation advantage.

Carefully controlled immigration, rooted in law, guided by economic needs, and focused on attracting the world’s best talent, offers a path to strengthen the economy and ensure the country’s technological edge.