How America Can Balance Legal Migration with Strong National Security

"OPINION - Zohran Mamdani, a Ugandan-born New York State Assembly member, was just elected Mayor of New York City, the largest city in the U.S. We in the U.S. take this for granted that a naturalized U.S. citizen could aspire to hold prominent federal, state and local positions. But this is unique for the U.S. and a select few countries that welcome legal migration and provide naturalized citizens with the same rights available to natural-born citizens."

"Except for the president and vice president, who must be natural-born citizens (Article 11, Section 1, Clause 5 of the Constitution), naturalized citizens can hold offices in the Congress and in federal, state and local governments. Indeed, Madeleine Albright, a naturalized citizen born in Czechoslovakia, was Secretary of State and Henry Kissinger, born in Germany, was National Security Advisor and Secretary of State."

"Currently, Ilhan Omar, born in Somalia, is a member of the House of Representatives from Minnesota and Senator Mazie K. Hirono, born in Japan and representing Hawaii, are two of 30 members of the 119th Congress who were not born in the U.S. The list of naturalized Americans who contributed to our nation's economic growth, academic excellence, athletic prowess and the arts is awe-inspiring. Indeed, our country's open-door policy has contributed to making the U.S. the "shining city on a hill.""

Zohran Mamdani, a Ugandan-born New York State Assembly member, was elected Mayor of New York City, illustrating that naturalized citizens can attain prominent local offices. Except for president and vice president, naturalized citizens may hold offices in Congress and in federal, state and local governments. Prominent naturalized officials include Madeleine Albright, Henry Kissinger and Elaine Chao. Current Congress members not born in the U.S. include Ilhan Omar and Mazie K. Hirono. Many countries lack clear paths to citizenship and restrict property ownership. An open-door policy of legal migration has contributed to U.S. economic, academic and cultural strengths.

Read at The Cipher Brief