OPINION:
In an October interview with Bloomberg News, President Trump stated, “I want a lot of people to come into our country but I want them to come in legally.” To that end, at the very top of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency’s priority list should be streamlining the process for legal immigration.
With roughly 900,000 immigrants struggling through it every year, it’s time we look at it through their eyes. We owe them an efficient process, one that doesn’t look like it was designed to make lawyers rich and keep Washington bureaucrats employed. According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the process can take up to six years due to a five-year residency requirement. It also involves legal costs averaging $3,000. After the process is placed under the DOGE magnifying lens, it should take closer to 30 days and cost more like $300.
Putting on my process-engineering hat, I believe we should vet immigrants in the following way. First, perform a thorough risk assessment based on a reliable background check. Determine whether the potential immigrant is employable. Then determine whether they pass our English-speaking requirement. Next, make sure the person reacher their employer. It’s that simple.
While we’re at it, we should add an essay question to form N-400, the Application for Naturalization: “Why is capitalism better than communism or socialism?” That’s a question every American voter should have to answer.
BEN FURLEIGH
Port Charlotte, Florida
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