Anti-immigration policy blocks them from being Americans.

I know an awful lot of skilled people that live in the US, pay high taxes, and for whose lives have been thrown into disarray by backwards, anti-immigration policy like this illegal $100k fee, but it's just the beginning of the ways that anti-immigration policy is being used to make the US far weaker, just in order for pyrrhic harm to immigrants. I'm pissed about it.

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JCTheDenthog 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

>Anti-immigration policy blocks them from being Americans.

Yes, because the citizens of a country (through their elected representatives) have absolute control over who they choose to allow into their country. Even blocking a brilliant surgeon or inventor, if they so choose. There is no moral right to come to America (or any other country).

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epistasis 6 hours ago | parent [-]

Saying "I have absolute control" is not a justification for making bad decisions that hurt the US. Furthermore, it was never a question of the US had a right to make these decisions, of course it does.

Do you find the argument "I have the right to make any decision I want therefor it justifies bad decisions" convincing? I sure don't.

	▲	NoMoreNicksLeft 3 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		>Saying "I have absolute control" is not a justification for making bad decisions that hurt the US. How is it a bad decision that will hurt the US? Can you make that argument on its merits? No one doubts that there isn't that one genius here or there Last year, right here on HN I saw a headline where the "powers that be" wanted to increase Canada's population to 100 million (they currently sit at 30ish million). Is that a good decision for Canada? Where the fertility rate is so low population is shrinking? Like, do they need another 65 million people? Are there 65 million jobs going undone in Canada right now? Jobs that desperately need doing? The plan's the same for the United States, even if no one was careless enough to blare a similar headline from trumpets.
	▲	throwaway85825 5 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Bad decision for who? Their best interest is not your interest, no matter how you browbeat them.

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roarcher 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> I know an awful lot of skilled people that live in the US

If they already live in the US, they're not applying for an H1B.

	▲	epistasis 6 hours ago \| parent [-]
		That's false. You can apply for an H1B while in the US (unless there has been another recent and random change to long standing policy for no reason except to make lives miserable). H1B renewals are also common, and happen within the US.