Seven Myths That Cloud Immigration Debate

By Darrell M. West, Vice President and Director of Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, and author of the new book, Brain Gain: Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy, via USA Today.

The United States is shockingly irrational in the way it handles immigration. Unlike other nations that strategically use immigration to pursue national goals, we lurch from concerns about border security to illegal immigrants to drugs and crime without considering our long-term political and economic priorities.

One of the chief sources of irrationality is the myths that have arisen about immigrants and immigration policy. Befitting a subject that is politically charged, here's where ordinary Americans and policymakers often get it wrong:

Link to the seven myths.