Our high-skilled immigration needs to reinforce Americanization

In this op-ed, I draw on a forgotten chapter of American history—the 1917 Bisbee Deportation—to argue that our high-skilled immigration system has created a modern-day form of indentured servitude and that true reform must pair talent with a path to citizenship, assimilation, and belonging.

• Skills-based immigration without assimilation undermines national unity and innovation: Programs like H-1B treat immigrants as temporary labor rather than future citizens, creating low civic engagement and stifling long-term investment in America’s social fabric and economy.

• History warns of the dangers of non-assimilation: The 1917 Bisbee Deportation shows how failure to integrate immigrants leads to exclusion and dehumanization. Today’s foreign-born population mirrors that era’s levels, making Americanization an urgent national priority once again.

• We must reform immigration to reward civic commitment, not just credentials: A reimagined system should create real pathways to citizenship, encourage English fluency and community participation, and prioritize those ready to contribute not just with talent—but with loyalty to the American experiment.

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