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Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social

And some critiques of specific earned citizenship proposals, especially those that “express a particular moral basis for legalization”: bsky.app/profile/same...

aug 5, 2025, 2:47 pm • 24 0

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Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social

“Actually, there is a mechanism for those who’ve been physically present in the US since a certain date and haven’t been rendered inadmissible by something like a criminal record to simply send in an application for permanent residency…” but the date is *Jan 1, 1972*. bsky.app/profile/matt...

aug 5, 2025, 3:54 pm • 32 1 • view
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Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social

See bsky.app/profile/matt...

aug 5, 2025, 4:03 pm • 22 0 • view
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Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social

“Many poor and oppressed people wish to leave their countries of origin in the third world to come to affluent Western societies. This essay argues that there is little justification for keeping them out.” bsky.app/profile/sumi...

aug 5, 2025, 4:06 pm • 23 0 • view
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Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social

The key point that I take away from Carens' argument is that we owe something to those who have lived and worked in our communities for long periods of time.

aug 5, 2025, 5:34 pm • 6 0 • view
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Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social

This is laid out more clearly in one of his other papers philpapers.org/rec/CAROBW

aug 5, 2025, 5:35 pm • 5 0 • view
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Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social

Also see bsky.app/profile/sumi...

aug 5, 2025, 7:13 pm • 5 0 • view
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Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social

Classic Reason Magazine cartoon from 2008: “What Part of Legal Immigration Don’t You Understand?” by Mike Flynn and Shikha Dalmia, illustrated by Terry Colon, showing the complexity and long wait times of U.S. legal immigration.

Flowchart titled “What Part of Legal Immigration Don’t You Understand?” by Mike Flynn and Shikha Dalmia, illustrated by Terry Colon, showing the complexity and long wait times of U.S. legal immigration. It starts with the question, “Do you have family in the USA?” If no and you are unskilled, the chart says there is virtually no way to immigrate legally unless you are a star athlete or invest $1 million. If yes, the path splits into two tracks: having a U.S. citizen relative or a lawful permanent resident relative. For U.S. citizens sponsoring immediate relatives (spouse, parent, minor child), there is no annual cap, and total time to citizenship can be 6–7 years. Adult children and siblings face long waits: single adult children 6–14 years, married adult children 8–19 years, siblings 11–22 years, resulting in 12–28 years to citizenship. For lawful permanent residents, spouses and minor children wait 5–7 years, single adult children 8–14 years, leading to 10–20 years to citizenship. Employment-based routes require skills and job offers. With a specialty degree and employer sponsorship, applicants face a lottery for temporary H-1B visas and 6–10 years for a green card, totaling 11–16 years to citizenship. Unskilled workers without family ties are effectively excluded. The chart emphasizes how difficult “getting in line” is, with most paths taking a decade or longer.
aug 5, 2025, 9:38 pm • 37 9 • view
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Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social

Oh wow! I wonder how much the waiting periods have changed. I think it's become a lot harder for people from India.

aug 5, 2025, 9:46 pm • 4 0 • view
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Domenico Maceri @maceri.bsky.social

They are also needed considering the low birthrate.

aug 5, 2025, 6:19 pm • 1 0 • view
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Matt Cameron @mattcameron.bsky.social

I continue to believe that the registry is the most elegant solution to regularizing the status of millions of people who have already integrated themselves into American communities in every part of the country. It also sidesteps the moral implications of "earned" status noted in the thread above

aug 5, 2025, 3:57 pm • 7 0 • view