Panel Reinforces Need for Immigration Reform

A panel discussion held June 10 at Harbor Homes, on Immigration Reform, cut right to the chase.

"What needs to happen? Anyone who wants to come here, own property and work is legally allowed to, without quantitative restrictions based on race or country of origin," said economist Benjamin Powell. "We need to return to 19th century immigration laws."

That was Powell's answer in response to a question on Senate Bill 744, on immigration reform, which Powell says is just "a small step in the right direction," but is far from enough to correct the problem, one which he says has enormous fiscal consequences to the U.S. economy.

"The greatest thing the United States can do to help people in poorer parts of the world is let them come here and be more productive in the United States," Powell said. "It's far more effective than anything we've done for development programs abroad."

Immigrants bring net benefits to the U.S. economy – maybe not initially, but over their whole lifetime, said Powell, a point widely accepted by economists, no matter their position on immigration.

"When you hear people running around saying I don't want more immigrants here because it's destroying out economy, it's just flat out wrong," Powell said. 

He went on to break down the public perception error of the "seen" and the "unseen," data that economists dwell on when it comes to evaluating the factual reality of the economics of immigration reform.

Over the weekend, stepped into the immigration spotlight by voicing support for the immigration reform legislation.

Four of the six panelists had personal stories to tell, and all of them highlighted the hardships faced by those who come to the U.S. seeking a better life from other countries.

Two retired veterans, one Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) member and the mother of two active military personnel shared their personal stories connected to immigration reform.

• Ana Ford originally from Panama, served in the U.S. Navy for 22 years, combined active and reserve.  A New Hampshire resident for 20 years, talked about the discrimination she has personally felt in the past two years by those who mistook her for an undocumented immigrant. (Watch as she talks about her dream for immigration reform, in the Patch Clip uploaded with this story.)

• Maria Elena Lora, of Colombia, has live in the U.S. for 14 years and both her sons are serving in the U.S. Army because they had documents. She spoke about the plight of others who, like her sons, would like to serve this country and further their education but without a path to citizenship, are unable to.

• Tom Cullen was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1937. After earning his medical degree and Fellowship, in Dublin, he came to the United States to continue his surgical training at Boston City Hospital in 1965 and completed his training in 1968. That same year the U.S. Army needed medical personnel, and the Johnson administration changed the draft rules for foreign doctors making them eligible until age 35. The Cullens wished to stay in the United States, and Dr. Cullen, legal resident, was drafted into the Army as a surgeon.  

• Hector Rivas is a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, who came here from El Salvador in 2004 with his family, to escape violence, and to seek a better life. He is still unable to enlist in the military, although he is currently a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Cadet in college still dreaming of serving in the U.S. military. 

Also on the panel: 

• Ambassador George Bruno, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Belize from 1994-1997 during the Clinton administration and is currently an immigration attorney in Manchester.

• Benjamin Powell, Director of the Free Market Institute and teacher at the Rawls College of Business.After the program, Powell talked aboutHosted by Service Employees International Union, Americans By Choice and the New Hampshire Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees, the discussion will be followed by a question and answer session.