Immigration Update: 2024 End of Year Edition

Thank you for being a continued reader of Emerson Collective’s Immigration Newsletter. 

With the 2024 election in the rearview mirror and the return of former President Trump, the landscape of U.S. immigration policy is poised for a seismic shift.  As we prepare for the months ahead, it’s clear that we’re facing a return to policies focused on deportations, limiting protections for those who are here, and restricting legal immigration. Instead of bringing order to a broken system, single-minded enforcement strategies are likely to stoke fears, destabilize communities, and disrupt local economies.

As we enter this new era, rather than recount every new development and call out every outrage - many partner organizations will continue to do that important work - we will try to use this newsletter to explore the broader implications of major policy shifts while highlighting opportunities to continue making progress on building better systems.  In this edition, we begin that shift by acknowledging the biggest challenges that lie ahead before turning to the opportunities within our purview.

As always, thank you for reading.

Marshall Fitz

Searching for Opportunity on Immigration during Trump’s Second Term

Elections matter. We write with clear eyes about the serious challenges ahead, the pain it portends for so many vulnerable people, and the economic implications. Steeled by a decisive victory after a dark campaign of divisive, dehumanizing rhetoric, president-elect Trump has made his intentions clear: reinstating "Remain in Mexico" and Title 42, suspending the refugee program, reviving the Muslim ban, mass deportations, workplace raids, expanded detention camps, overturning limits on child detention, deputizing law enforcement, and using federal troops for immigration control under the Insurrection Act.

We will support efforts to minimize the most harmful impacts of these expected policies. But the fact remains that historic numbers of people are on the move in this hemisphere, some of whom will continue to seek opportunity in the U.S. – a phenomenon that is almost certain to grow in the face of ongoing political repression, violence, economic precarity, and climate change’s impacts. So we can, and will, seek out opportunities to work with non-federal actors on our continuing efforts to build humane, orderly migration systems.

The good news is that more than 80 percent of the displaced population in the Western Hemisphere has not had to make the costly, often harrowing journey to the U.S. border. That is because other actors and governments in the region have adopted innovative policies and practices that have helped stabilize and integrate the millions of people who have been forced to move. Regional governments have done so not because it is easy or without strain, but because it is in their self-interest. 

The vast majority of migrants are not looking for handouts, they’re looking for work to leverage their skills and provide for their loved ones. Inclusive policies that welcome recent arrivals and accelerate their ability to be self-sufficient and economically productive help reduce the potential for resource friction with native residents. And in many countries, including the United States, the arrival of migrants can help alleviate growing labor shortages if they are matched with opportunities. Republican governors Cox and Holcomb have even proposed allowing states to sponsor immigrants to meet local demands.  Elected officials from both parties across the country have embraced policies and programs that expand opportunities for everyone in their states – citizens and non-citizens alike. State and local leaders understand that the strength of their economies and safety of their communities rely on ensuring that everyone is able to contribute and prosper. Over the last few years, states and cities have adopted protections for immigrant communities that were not in place during President Trump’s first term. 

For example, in 2021, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed into law a raft of bills ensuring immigrants are able to integrate and contribute, including: allowing immigrants without documentation to apply for housing assistance, repealing lawful presence as a requirement to receive certain public benefits, and protecting residents personal data from being shared with ICE unless required by a judge. We anticipate seeing more measures like these from states that are focused on enhancing community safety and prosperity. 

People will continue to move for compelling reasons as they have since the dawn of humanity; it is in our DNA. But the choice before us is not the one painted by national politicians as one between open borders or iron fences. It is whether we will try to prevent people from seeking a better life, or we will manage migration pressures in a safe, orderly way that enhances social and economic opportunities for everyone. We look forward to working with all actors - government, civil society, private sector - in the U.S. and across the hemisphere who want to transform challenges into opportunities. In doing so, however, we will not lose sight of the perilous harm facing so many of our neighbors, colleagues, and loved ones.