[November 12, 2015] If national leaders were asked about what concerns them most – any issue of great import to their country – immigration would certainly be at the top of that list. Western leaders in particular would likely say it is the singular concern they have to address due to its impact on their nation’s security and its moral standing. A present, citizens of Europe and the United States are having highly emotional disagreements on both legal and illegal immigration.
The debate is certainly one of the most controversial of our time. In the United States, with a presidential election cycle just beginning and problems created in Europe, immigration may now be considered one of its greatest challenges of today. Unfortunately, there is no easy solution that is acceptable and that is where the debate begins.
One would think that legal immigration would not be controversial but immigration law in the U.S. is complex and involves a number of interlocking rules that pertain to who may lawfully enter and how long they stay. In addition, U.S. Immigration law has not only changed fundamentally over time but political leaders have selectively enforced their own laws. This lack of clarity has helped complicate the subject and drive an emotional response to it.
At issue currently is the acceptance of millions of peoples from countries torn by war and ruled by dictators. We are asked, does a country have the moral obligation to accept refugees? Germany with its Nazi past is a good example of a country that is welcoming refugees, in part, due to its notorious actions during World War II. And the U.S. considers itself a nation of immigrants. Their histories drive their policies as much as practical solutions demand prudent behavior.
Presidential candidates in the recent Republican debate of a few days ago argued strongly on both sides of the dispute. Those that were for lenient enforcement of U.S. immigration law saw their popularity decline: specifically Jeb Bush and John Kasich. Losing an election gets the attention of most politicians and they recognize their own vulnerability when they do not service the desires of their electorate.
The costs of immigration have been discussed but no one seems to be able to agree on any standard by which to measure its economic or social impact. Does immigration, for example, led to higher crime rates, lower wages for Americans, or changes in democratic values? What has not been discussed at the U.S. national political level is the assimilation of those immigrants. No one has proposed any realistic solutions because this is such a difficult subject and some politicians are using it to advance their own agendas.
Today is a great time to be a senior leader and to study leadership. Immigration doesn’t appear to have a good solution and we are able to witness the thinking of our leaders and see those ideas debated in public. Not long ago this would not have occurred. Good leadership however is about providing moral clarity and practical solutions.
This is not an easy time to me a national leader because no good solution is apparent. But this is what separates the good leaders from the great.
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[Note: previous theLeaderMaker.com posts on Immigration]
- Immigration: The Great Debate (September 2, 2015): https://www.theleadermaker.com/immigration-the-great-debate/
- What is the U.S. Message on Immigration? (July 7, 2014): https://www.theleadermaker.com/u-s-message-immigration/
- The U.S. Immigration Debate (July 19. 2014): https://www.theleadermaker.com/u-s-immigration-debate/
- Leadership on the U.S. Immigration Debate (July 30, 2014): https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-u-s-immigration-debate/
- Immigration and Multi-Layered Leadership (December 2, 2014): https://www.theleadermaker.com/immigration-multi-layered-leadership/