The United States and two significant economic and military competitors – China and Russia – are facing significant demographic challenges. Propelled by falling birth rates, the populations of the three countries are rapidly aging. In turn, their respective workforces are struggling to keep up with their economic and national security

We represent the Council on National Security and Immigration (CNSI), a group of 40 leaders who have worked on national security issues during Republican administrations, both as political and career officials. We are writing to extend our gratitude for your leadership in co-sponsoring the “Fulfilling Promises to Afghan Allies Act,” which was introduced as an amendment in recent negotiations over supplemental national security spending.

Council on National Security and Immigration (CNSI) is a group of American national security leaders who
believe immigration reforms are imperative to address the unprecedented levels of migration and asylum
claims at the southern border and to bolster and maintain the United States’ global leadership in the 21st
century.

Throughout its history, America has relied on allies and foreign partners to meet its national security
objectives. These allies have often risked their lives to enable the missions of forward-deployed United
States service members, intelligence officers, and diplomats. Support for U.S. overseas presence ranges
from administrative tasks in an embassy to combat in the field, and foreign nationals who perform these
duties are often viewed as an extension of U.S. presence.

A nation's ability to be competitive and defend itself in an international arena is dependent on its ability to produce and maintain a capable workforce. As things currently stand, the United States is facing both a labor shortage and a demographic crisis, putting the nation’s economic health and national security in peril.

The bipartisan, newly reintroduced Afghan Adjustment Act (S.2327/H.R.4627) honors our nation’s commitment to its wartime allies by providing a path to permanent status for Afghan evacuees. It also ensures that these evacuees are properly and scrupulously vetted prior to considering them for such status.

Immigration is essential to building a strong economy and bolstering the national security interests of the United States. However, the U.S. also has an obligation to maintain border security and the capability to identify non-U.S. persons entering our country. To do so, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, along with its component agencies, the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) and the Office of Field Operations (OFO), should have the resources necessary to uphold their responsibility to manage and secure the border in a humane manner.

In recent years, politicians have often used the terms “human trafficking” and “human smuggling” interchangeably when speaking about the challenge at the United States-Mexico border. Both human smuggling and trafficking are criminal acts that should be investigated and ultimately prosecuted. However, to understand and respond to each effectively, they must be understood as distinct phenomena.

Immigration is essential to building a strong economy and bolstering the national security interests of the United States. However, the U.S. also has an obligation to maintain border security and the capability to identify non-U.S. persons entering our country. To do so, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, along with its component agencies, the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) and the Office of Field Operations (OFO), should have the resources necessary to uphold their responsibility to manage and secure the border in a humane manner.

The bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act (S.4787/H.R. 8685) honors our nation’s commitment to its wartime allies by providing a path to permanent status for Afghan evacuees. It also ensures these evacuees are properly and scrupulously vetted prior to considering them for such status. For the reasons outlined below, the undersigned national security leaders urge you to work together to swiftly pass the legislation.

Increasingly, the U.S. military has struggled to recruit new enlistees. Creating pathways for immigrants to join the military is one answer to this recruitment challenge. Many lawful immigrants have critical skills that would benefit the U.S. military and fill needs such as foreign language expertise and medical practice experience.

The U.S. is facing a STEM skills shortage that is putting our global leadership position in the technology and innovation sectors at risk. The last several years have highlighted our vulnerabilities in regard to STEM skills and supply chains, and shined a light on how dependent the world is on China for technology-related manufacturing.