# Let's talk about 'rational' immigration policy **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 16, 2019, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-rational-immigration-policy/838754 "2019-08-16T17:41:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-rational-immigration-policy/838754/181 "2019-09-15T19:23:24Z")
> [@kirkrapine](#): > > I prefer “impermissive immigrants” – they are in the country without the required official permission. This is both a stupid term, and one that doesn’t grasp the basic mean of the word “permissive.” ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-rational-immigration-policy/838754/182 "2019-09-15T19:28:29Z")
> [@kirkrapine](#): > > Because they see no other way in. > > I don’t like the phrase “illegal aliens” because people are never illegal. OTOH, I don’t like “undocumented immigrants” because that implies the only problem is they neglected to fill out some paperwork. No. the problem is that our legal-immigration quotas are so low that most applicants would be rejected. I prefer “impermissive immigrants” – they are in the country without the required official permission. A question commonly asked by employers in the tech industry is about a person’s resident or citizenship status. That can include: citizen or resident (non-citizen). Residency can include various visas: Student, Green Card, Green Card Dependent, H1B, etc… Seems to me, “Resident” and “Non-Resident” can be fair status distinctions. But that’s really not the important part and I don’t see the point of getting bogged down in these kinds of terminology games. It’s how we treat new applicants and non-residents that matters. ---
**Author:** ![sps49sd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sps49sd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sps49sd)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-rational-immigration-policy/838754/183 "2019-09-15T22:58:54Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Have any Democratic opinion-makers come out in favor of Open Borders?.. Buttegieg, Castro, Gillibrand, Harris, Sanders, Warren, Williamson, and Yang want to abolish ICE and decriminalize entry. That is, funtionally, open borders. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-rational-immigration-policy/838754/184 "2019-09-15T23:19:57Z")
> [@sps49sd](#): > > Buttegieg, Castro, Gillibrand, Harris, Sanders, Warren, Williamson, and Yang want to abolish ICE and decriminalize entry. > > That is, funtionally, open borders. No, it’s not, and not even close. There’s still customs, and checks. Yes, once they enter they wont go to a concentration camp. ---
**Author:** ![ralfy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ralfy/32/600_2.png) [@ralfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralfy)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-rational-immigration-policy/838754/185 "2019-09-16T00:25:59Z")
May also be seen in light of population aging. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-rational-immigration-policy/838754/186 "2019-09-16T07:54:07Z")
> [@sps49sd](#): > > Buttegieg, Castro, Gillibrand, Harris, Sanders, Warren, Williamson, and Yang want to abolish ICE and decriminalize entry. > > That is, funtionally, open borders. ICE got its start in the Bush administration. Did we have “open borders” under the Reagan administration? This is absolutely not “open borders” in any meaningful sense - it just does away with a rather disturbingly powerful government organization that has been doing incredible harm lately. ---
**Author:** ![kirkrapine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ea924/32.png) [@kirkrapine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirkrapine)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-rational-immigration-policy/838754/187 "2019-09-17T23:34:12Z")
[John Oliver analyzes our present legal-immigration system.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXqnRMU1fTs&t=37s) Well worth watching. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-rational-immigration-policy/838754.md?page=9)