Thoughts on economics, border security and immigration

In the discussions of border security, we have lost sight of a few important things about our southern neighbors. How many of us know that Mexico is actively conducting research into astronomy or that the Center for Optical Investigation in Guanajuato has an international reputation? Did you know that 10,000 doctors in the United States were educated in Mexico? Can you name the symphonies of Mexican composers like Carlos Chavez or the songs of Joan Manuel Serrat? Are you familiar with the photography of Agustín Víctor Casasola?

The impact of people from the Caribbean, Central and South America on our culture has been profound. Even in the quintessentially American play Damn Yankees, there is the character Lola, a South American dancer. If you were to fully account for the athletic, artistic, literary, musical, culinary and scientific contributions of immigrants from Latin countries, you would see the depth of their contribution to our culture.

Members of my family were refugees during World War II. At one point my grandmother and mother lost contact with my grandfather. In the middle of a war, it is assumed that if you lose contact with a family member, you might never see him again. We were fortunate that my uncle accidentally found him. I asked my mother what she thought of the Trump policy of separating parents from children. She said, “I am completely horrified.” We are not so different from the border detainees.

Did we break any laws while fleeing the devastation in Europe? You bet we did. The most important law that we broke was the simple act of staying alive.

Looking broadly at all immigrants, I found that nearly 40 percent of American Nobel Prize winners since the year 2000 were immigrants, whereas migrants comprised only 13 percent of the general population. Our continued economic growth depends on attracting the most talented scientists and engineers.

A demographic bomb is about to explode in this country. The U.S. birth rate has sunk to a 30-year low. This means that there will not be enough young people coming into the economy to balance the needs of the elderly. Important institutions like Social Security could be at risk because of this. Meanwhile, it is estimated that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals children alone will contribute half a trillion (yes trillion) taxable dollars to our economy over a 20-year period. Are we so rich that we can afford to throw away that much money?

This is not a good time to choke immigration. We need new people coming in, particularly young, talented people. The earning potential of just the 2000 undocumented children that are now in the news (if they were given a reasonable chance) could easily be a billion dollars over a 20-year period. But if we criminalize those children, we will be creating a generation of criminals that will cost us or Central American governments many billions of dollars. Those children are a precious resource to be protected, not a burden to be avoided.

Although the low migrant crime statistic is cold comfort for someone who has been robbed or injured, the problem of crime among undocumented migrants is overstated. We need to balance the great good that the vast majority of migrants can do for us with the harm that can also be done, and find ways to mitigate that harm. And remember, there are also very serious economic risks if we shut down immigration. Meanwhile, we must end the senseless brutality that we have visited on the vulnerable people fleeing tragic circumstances in their home countries.

Morris Kaufman of Santa Fe has lived in the Southwest since 1976. He is an engineer specializing in optical systems.