The urgency of immigration reform: challenges and solutions for the United States.

The border between the United States and Mexico has become a scene of chaos and disorder, with a historic record of 250,000 immigrants apprehended or expelled in the month of December. This situation has sparked criticism towards President Joe Biden from the Republican Party, accusing him of maintaining an open borders policy and not effectively enforcing the law. However, the reality is that the United States' immigration policy is not functioning as it should. With around 11 million illegal immigrants within the country, it is evident that there is a demand for labor from Americans and a supply of labor from immigrants, but restrictive laws make legal migration difficult, pushing many towards informality. In a context where legal migration routes have narrowed, the chaos at the border becomes a symptom and also a cause of deficiencies in U.S. immigration policies. The prohibition of legal migration only fosters illegality and instability in the region. Political incentives to address this problem are distorted, especially in an election year. Meanwhile, the narrative of open or closed borders continues to generate debate in the country. Despite partisan differences, what is needed is a more open system for legal immigration, allowing for the orderly and liberal regulation of migratory flows. Experts like Alex Nowrasteh point out the importance of granting more work visas, as was done in the 1950s with the "bracero" program, which drastically reduced illegal immigration and controlled the border. Establishing an immigration order in this way would decrease anxiety in the population and demonstrate the benefits that immigrants can bring to American society. Despite arguments against immigration, evidence shows that immigrants not only fill jobs but also create them, are entrepreneurs, contribute to the tax system, and have lower crime rates than natives. It is time to recognize that an orderly and liberal immigration policy would strengthen the United States and bring greater benefits than costs.