What Is 'Chain Migration'?

What’s the story?

President Trump and his administration have come out strongly against what they call "chain migration" in their calls for immigration reform, but what actually is it? How did it come about? What was the original goal and what actually happened as a result?

Here’s a brief summary.

The U.S. established a restrictive, quota-based immigration system in the 1920’s, largely in response to fears of massive immigration from Eastern and Southern Europe following WWI, explains the Washington Post. The quotas also prevented large-scale migration from Asia, Latin America and Africa.

Those policies stood until the mid-60’s, when it became clear they hampered attempts by dissidents from behind the Iron Curtain to immigrate. But conservatives, some of them Southern Democrats, and liberals disagreed on a remedy. Conservatives feared an influx of immigrants of color and liberals wanted to move to a skills-based, merit system.

A compromise was struck focused on "family unification", with the idea that you wouldn’t get a massive influx of immigrants of color because they didn’t already have relatives here under the quota system.

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act into law in 1965.

Under the family unification model it is comparatively easy for citizens and some legal residents to bring over their spouses and minor children. But other categories of family members, like siblings, take far longer because there are annual caps. To bring over extended family can take decades, reports the Post. Still, two-thirds of green cards issued annually go to family members of citizens and legal residents.

The family unification model has inadvertently changed the racial and ethnic composition of the country over the last 50 years. Supporters of the model maintain that is why the administration opposes it, pointing to "racially-coded language" in the administration’s attacks on the policy. They also argue immigrants tends to support the Democratic Party.

Administration officials argue the current system threatens American workers and national security.

But a primarily merit-based system, such the administration is calling for, which ironically echoes the desires of liberals in the 1960’s, would be unlikely to reduce immigration by people of color, since so many skilled workers are now immigrating from China and India.

What do you think?

Do you support the current "family unification" model, or do you support moving to a merit-based system?

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— Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: U.S. Army / Creative Commons)