Appraising Arizona

Without consistent laws, society deteriorates into anarchy, as William Golding powerfully described in Lord of the Flies, a story of boys stranded without adult supervision. In the absence of a sensible federal immigration policy, states have no choice but to take matters into their own hands. Arizona does not have the power to issue visas and green cards and to give them to immigrants whose work would benefit Arizona’s economy. This is the role of the federal government, and our government has failed.

It’s worth noting that just as Arizona passed its restrictive new immigration law, Princeton University Press published The Great Brain Race: How Global Universities Are Reshaping the World, by Ben Wildavsky. He meticulously demonstrates how competition for academic talent is international, with top universities all over the world chasing the brightest students.

America can attract the best global minds as students, but in order to keep them here and reap the benefits of our investment, we need to issue more green cards.

Undocumented workers in Arizona will now be detained, imprisoned, and deported; after foreign students receive their degrees from elite American universities, they are shown the door and sent back home, albeit in a kinder, gentler manner. We need more visas and green cards to allow more high- and low-skill workers to stay in America.

This piece originally appeared in National Review Online

This piece originally appeared in National Review Online