FYI I read this in the news....Here's the problem with merit based immigration (IMHO)
If only the best qualified are allowed to immigrate to the US, then they will compete only for the best, highest paying jobs available. Leaving the menial jobs, the low paying jobs, the back breaking jobs, for the native born.
Is that really what we want?
How good are you at picking lettuce?
Farm workers can still come here on temporary work visas, that way they don't need to be separated from their families and their money will go MUCH further back in their home. Hell, they are always sending it back via western union anyway. Perhaps that system can also be re-vamped so it is more convenient and organized for them, and maybe children of farm workers who have worked here 5 years or more can get special consideration for their kids in getting student visas later on.
What is wrong with bringing people here who know the language and are good at math? Those are the people who will actually be more likely to start their own auto repair shop or taqueria or some other type of business. Why must you assume immigrants just come here to take jobs and not create jobs? Why don't we invite people here who have money to invest in the system?
Another thing is, the more poor people we invite in en mass, who cannot speak English or have no skills, the harder it is for them to fit in, and their kids more likely to end up in a gang. Not always of course, and maybe not even at huge percentages, but definitely at higher percentages than children of highly educated parents.
There is something to be said for both arguments so maybe there is a compromise to be found. And something better than we have now
40% of the legal immigrants brought here from Africa, have college degrees..... that's a higher percentage than us Americans born here....