Economic need not a big part of immigration totals

“... We’ve seen record levels of immigration in recent decades. A million green cards a year, the population of Montana added to this country every year, population of Arkansas added every year, almost none of those green cards are based on job skills or demonstrated economic need.” — U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, on Fox News Feb. 7

Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton favors a new legal immigration system that’s less focused on extended family reunification and more aligned with bringing in skilled workers.

Cotton, of Arkansas, contended on Fox News that of 1 million green cards issued annually, very few are employment-based.

“Right now we have a legal immigration system that is not working for American workers. Blue-collar workers, people who work with their hands, on their feet, have seen their wages stagnate for decades,” Cotton said Feb. 7 on Fox News. “At the same time, we’ve seen record levels of immigration in recent decades. A million green cards a year, the population of Montana added to this country every year, population of Arkansas added every year, almost none of those green cards are based on job skills or demonstrated economic need. So, of course they compete for blue-collar jobs and put downward pressure on working-class wages.”

Data from the Department of Homeland Security supports his claim.

The Immigration and Naturalization Act allows for 675,000 legal immigrant admissions a year. Admission preferences include: family-sponsored immigrants (about 480,000); employment-based preference immigrants (about 140,000); and diversity visa lottery immigrants (55,000).

Our ruling

Cotton said that of 1 million green cards issued a year, “almost none of those green cards are based on job skills or demonstrated economic needs.”

Cotton’s team told us the senator usually says one out of 15 green card recipients (about 6.7 percent) come to the United States for employment reasons. That estimate checks out with data from the Department of Homeland Security. But experts say focusing just on the employment category overlooks individuals who are also contributing to the economy, though they may have come under a different visa category.

Cotton’s statement is accurate, but needs additional information.

We rate it Mostly True.