Globalization Requires Us to Change Our Views on Immigration

In the age of globalization, when goods and services circulate freely between countries, the concept of labor migration needs to be examined. While we encourage the movement of goods and services, our country has difficulty with the movement of human beings who seek to fill important jobs in our economy. 

The recent high number of apprehensions along the U.S.-Mexico border is a case in point. This phenomenon has caused many to believe that we are experiencing an “invasion.” 

However, the numbers can be deceiving, because the metrics used sometimes do not account for the recidivism of migrants trying to re-enter. 

In fact, of the over 2 million people taken into custody in the fiscal year 2022, 22% were apprehended at least twice. 

Moreover, the number of asylum-seekers from authoritarian countries — Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua — increased by 175% this year. Meanwhile, the number of migrants from the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras decreased by 45%. 

The 1.6 million apprehensions that happened during 2021 should also be closely analyzed, as only 40% were Mexicans, changing a long-standing trend.

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