Cato Institute• Mar 11, 2026• 5:24Interview

Cato Institute’s David Bier Testifies on Immigration Policy in Congress | Senate Hearing

From Cato Institute

David Bier•Associate Director of Immigration Studies, Cato Institute

Executive Summary

Immigrants provide significant economic benefits to the U.S., including higher rates of entrepreneurship and a $14.5 trillion reduction in government deficits over 30 years.
legal immigration system is described as broken and outdated, having not seen a major update in three decades, resulting in extremely low approval rates.
Current immigration enforcement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is heavily criticized for being unconstitutional, targeting non-criminals, and violating due process.
Aggressive enforcement policies are eroding trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement, leading to a significant drop in crime reporting and undermining public safety.

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Concerns Raised

The U.S. legal immigration system is broken and has not been updated in 30 years.
DHS and ICE are engaging in unconstitutional enforcement actions that violate due process.
Current federal policies are eroding trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement, harming public safety.
Mass deportation is framed as an attack on American communities, not a viable solution.

Opportunities Identified

Immigrants contribute significantly to the economy through high rates of entrepreneurship.
Reforming the legal immigration system could unlock further economic benefits and create a more orderly process.
Focusing DHS resources on actual criminals would improve public safety and restore trust.

Key Themes

Economic Contributions of Immigrants

The speaker argues that immigrants are a net positive for the U.S. economy. They are nearly twice as likely to start businesses as native-born citizens and have contributed trillions of dollars to reducing the national deficit.

This theme directly counters narratives that immigrants are an economic drain, positioning them as a vital engine for growth, entrepreneurship, and fiscal stability.

Dysfunctional U.S. Immigration System

The legal immigration system is portrayed as fundamentally broken, with no major legislative updates in 30 years. This has led to an extremely restrictive process where only 3% of applicants are approved, and the current administration has further banned many who completed the process.

This highlights systemic policy failure as a root cause of current immigration challenges, shifting blame from individuals to an outdated and ineffective legal framework.

Critique of Federal Enforcement Agencies

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE are accused of abandoning their public safety mission in favor of unconstitutional actions. These include detaining individuals without evidence, deporting them without due process, and focusing on non-criminals while ignoring actual threats.

This raises serious concerns about government overreach, the erosion of civil liberties, and the accountability of federal law enforcement agencies.

Erosion of Public Safety and Community Trust

Aggressive federal enforcement tactics, such as arresting crime victims, are destroying the trust between immigrant communities and local police. This has caused a dramatic 63% drop in applications for U visas (for crime victims), making communities less safe as crimes go unreported.

This demonstrates the counterproductive nature of current immigration policies, showing how they can directly undermine local law enforcement efforts and overall public safety.

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Topics

Immigration Policy Economic Impact of Immigration Entrepreneurship U.S. Government Deficit Department of Homeland Security (DHS)ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)Legal Immigration System Due Process Constitutional Law Federalism Public Safety Crime Rates U Visa Deportation Civil Liberties

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