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My New “The Hill” Article Making the Case for Ending Pandemic-Related Migration Restrictions

The Hill published my latest article arguing against pandemic-related immigration restrictions. Also, I explain why those restrictions did not achieve their intended purpose to protect public health. This is a sample:

United States and others have implemented unprecedentedly harsh immigration restrictions as a result of the pandemic coronavirus. Trump’s last-year measures made the United States more restrictive than ever before in terms of immigration. Some restrictions have been lifted by the Biden administration, but others are still in effect.

These policies were supposedly designed to prevent the spread of the disease. In reality, however, migration bans did little to protect public health — and caused enormous suffering. These bans also hinder scientific innovation which makes it easier to manage pandemics, and other risks for the future. The Biden administration should immediately lift remaining pandemic-related migration restrictions, and Congress would do well to bar such policies for the future….

This failed in its goal to stop the spread COVID-19 virus from the United States. More than 750,000 Americans have already died of COVID-19. However, the continuation of numerous restrictions didn’t stop more contagious Alpha or Delta variants quickly becoming established here. At best, restrictions only briefly delayed the entry of the virus….

Pandemic-related immigration restrictions have brought immense suffering upon people fleeing poverty, oppression and violence. Many of those expelled under Title 42 and other policies may be condemned to a lifetime of privation or even death….

The U.S. and Europe have a large number of immigrants who make significant contributions to scientific, medical and technological advances. Immigration restrictions can block these advancements. The Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines were both developed by firms led by immigrants or children of immigrants from poor nations, who could not have made their vital contributions to these breakthroughs had they or their parents been barred from leaving their countries of origin…. Some of the immigrants the U.S. government banned from entering the country during the last 18-months might have been able to create great technological or medical advances of their own.