Today’s editorial selection comes to us from the "Immigration Portal" website and was written by Thomas E. Lehman of the Foundation for Economic Education. 

Titled "Coming to America: The Benefits of Open Immigration," here’s a key selection:

A policy of open immigration would indeed force unskilled American laborers to compete for their jobs at lower wages. However, far from being an evil, this is a desirable outcome, one which should form the basis for a new immigration policy. By inviting competition into the American labor markets, artificially inflated labor costs could be eliminated and a greater level of labor efficiency could be achieved.

As the cost of labor (itself a cost of production) decreased, entrepreneurs and producers could produce more efficiently, enabling them to offer products and services at lower prices as they compete for consumers’ dollars. Lower prices in turn increase the purchasing power of the American consumer, and thus enhance living standards for everyone. This is happening even now as some small business owners use “illegal” immigrant labor to lower their operating costs and thus lower consumer prices: “. . . small-business executives do agree that some of their competitors who knowingly or unknowingly hire illegal immigrants use the cheap labor to undercut prices of business owners who play by the rules.”

This is good for both consumers and the economy at large. As immigration makes the American labor market more competitive, costs of production are reduced and prices decline. In the long run, even the domestic laborer who is forced to lower his wage demands is not any worse off, since what he loses in terms of lower nominal wages he may well regain in terms of lower prices on the goods and services he purchases as a consumer. Meanwhile, everyone else benefits, and no one is privileged at the coerced expense of anyone else.

The Hill reports that despite the fact that nationally, the GOP’s (presumed) candidate, John McCain sided with most Democrats on comprehensive immigration reform last year, locally, GOP candidates running for office still see illegal immigration as an issue to rally voters around.

Doug Thornell, spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said that McCain’s nomination interferes with Republican plans to “demagogue” on immigration in House and Senate races. But he still expects immigration hawks and their allies among 527 advocacy groups to stress the issue and help turn out conservative voters.

“The base of the Republican Party lacks enthusiasm, and Republicans are looking for any sort of way to generate excitement,” he said. (...)

McCain’s nomination won’t deter the staunchest illegal immigration opponents, said Roy Beck, president of NumbersUSA, an advocacy group opposing amnesty. He said that the hard line taken by House Republicans on illegal immigration has forced some Democrats and McCain to shift their positions. Beck pointed out that freshman Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler (N.C.) has backed a bill requiring companies to verify that their workers are here legally. Beck also notes that McCain now tells voters that the government needs to secure the borders before deciding what to do with the approximately 12 million immigrants in the country illegally.

The foreign press is getting a whiff of the tensions here in the U.S. over illegal immigration. Today the UK’s Guardian newspaper published a story about how a death at the U.S.-Mexico border reflects immigration tensions here.

The article refers to the trial of the Border Patrol agent that shot a Mexican who was trying to cross the border in Arizona illegally.

From the article:

In opening statements, Corbett’s defence team portrayed the death of the 22-year-old as a case of self-defence by the 40-year-old agent.

"Nick Corbett had to defend himself, and he had to defend himself against Mr Domínguez, who was trying to crush his skull with a rock," said defence attorney Sean Chapman. "Nick Corbett did not want to shoot this man, but if he hadn’t done it, he might be dead today."

The prosecution, led by former Arizona attorney general Grant Woods, told a different story.

"This young man - while surrendering, going down on his knees, putting his hands in the air - from behind was hit, yanked and shot through the heart," Woods told the jury.

"We all respect the Border Patrol and law enforcement, but you don’t kill somebody who is trying to surrender," he said.

Taking the stand on Tuesday, Corbett said that he had been fending off Domínguez Rivera, who was holding a rock and threatening him, when his gun went off.

Bill Gates and Co. are headed to Capitol Hill to try to lobby for an increase in the annual quota of H1-B visas, the visas doled out to highly skilled temporary workers, reports the Economic Times of India.

From the article:

Experts say as this is an election year, not merely the presidential race, but also for the Congress, the industry may be able to persuade lawmakers to actively consider an increase. There are also reports of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus introducing a new immigration reform bill. This would focus on illegal immigrants, but hike in H-1 B numbers could be tacked along as well.

There seems to exist a support for this line of action within the American legislature. Both Democrats and Republican leaders in the US House of Representatives are of the view that any effort at immigration reform should take into consideration the need to ensure that “the best and brightest in the United States and around the world are able to contribute to innovation” in the US.

As recently as October 2007, the House Republican leadership in a letter to the Speaker wrote that “we must enact legislation that allows US companies to attract and retain highskilled workers to contribute and excel in the US economy without unnecessary delays and waiting periods. Members on both sides of the aisle have supported this in the past and we’re confident they will again.”