American foreign policy is driven by various interests and goals—including containment of enemies, suppression of terrorism, access to foreign markets, promotion of human rights, and limiting the spread of disease. Every president must choose which of these to prioritize, but for 50 years or more, changes of administration never changed the fact that immigration was not considered a high-priority concern in America’s foreign relations.
Until now.
Just days after being sworn in, Secretary of State Marco Rubio tweeted that “we are unwavering in our commitment to end illegal immigration and bolster America’s border security.”
“Half of each year’s new illegal immigrants were visa overstays.”
This, of course, could have been said by any member of the Trump administration. But it’s especially important coming from Foggy Bottom. Immigration stands at the intersection of international and domestic concerns, and therefore the stewards of our foreign policy always have a decision to make. Should immigration policy serve our overseas interests, or should our interactions with foreign countries serve the goals of immigration policy?
Traditionally, immigration concerns have taken a back seat to questions of geopolitics. But Rubio’s comment, and the Trump administration policies that it reflects, show clearly that this is no longer the case.