Congressional Bill to Increase ImmigrationIgnores Impact on U.S. Population Growth and Environment, Finds New Report by FAIR

(Washington, D.C. - July 12, 2007)

A Senate bill that would have granted amnesty to millions of illegal aliens and admitted millions of additional guest workers has been defeated. However, similar legislation is still pending in the House. Like the failed Senate bill, the STRIVE Act, H.R. 1645, introduced by Representatives Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), would have enormous population and environmental consequences for the nation, finds a new report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

The new FAIR study, Assessing the Population and Environmental Impact of the Flake-Gutierrez Bill, projects that if the STRIVE Act were to become law, U.S. population would grow by an additional 50 million by 2050. Even if we were to maintain the immigration status quo, U.S. population is projected to increase by about 160 million people by mid-century.

"Politicians who periodically come along with ‘fixes' for this nation's immigration policies, consistently fail to account for the impact their legislation would have on the size of the U.S. population in the future," said Dan Stein, president of FAIR. "Population growth on the magnitude that is being projected presents some very serious challenges for resource and energy consumption, and the environment down the line. The areas of the country projected to see the most significant population growth are already struggling to meet the resource needs of the population. It is simply irresponsible for anyone to suggest legislation that would significantly increase our population, without also providing a plan for meeting the needs of a rapidly growing population."

In addition to domestic resource issues, rapid immigration-generated population growth will likely have significant foreign policy implications. As the United States becomes more heavily dependent on foreign energy sources from unstable regions of the globe, this nation is likely to find itself drawn into conflicts we'd prefer to avoid. Massive population growth will also make it much more difficult, if not impossible, for the U.S. to meet goals for reductions in greenhouse-causing emissions.

"Over the past 50 years we have become far more conscious of our responsibilities as stewards of the land and the environment. Even for relatively small projects, we now require those who are undertaking them to provide an environmental impact statement," noted Stein. "And yet, we continue to pursue immigration policies that will add tens of millions of people to our population without any assessment of how it will affect our environment, land and resource usage, national security, or overall quality of life."

FAIR has called for reductions in overall levels of immigration to allow this nation time to develop strategies for meeting the needs of our population now and in the future. "Sound public policy demands a vision for 20 or 50 years into the future, not just the immediate interests of immigrants who want to bring family members here, or businesses that want abundant labor. Perhaps it is too much to expect politicians to take the long view, but at the very least, they should refrain from exacerbating problems," Stein said.