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.

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.

Among CNSI's principles is the need for policy reforms that implement robust and efficient screening and vetting, as well as effective border security measures. Our border platform outlines measures that any immigration policy reform should include.

China’s economy, soft power, and military capabilities are more robust than ever. While the United States remains the leading global hegemon, China is projected to surpass America, all else remaining equal, within the next few decades.