America has never been strongest when it governs from fear.
Yet fear too often defines how we approach immigration policy today: reactively, episodically and driven by isolated events rather than by data, values or long-term national interest. Each crisis or act of violence seems to prompt sweeping policy changes, closing doors, suspending programs or narrowing pathways, often without regard to whether those actions actually make us safer or stronger.
This is not comprehensive policy. It is improvisation.
And when immigration policy is made in this ad hoc and knee-jerk manner, it undermines America’s credibility, competitiveness and moral standing in the world.
The United States needs a comprehensive and coherent immigration policy aligned with American values. What we have instead is a patchwork of disconnected decisions rooted more in fear than in fact. When policy is driven by fear, nuance disappears, and with it, the very people who have long fueled American innovation, resilience and global leadership.
Fear is not a strategy
Recent events illustrate this troubling pattern.
After the tragic shooting involving National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., the federal response included dramatic changes affecting Afghan nationals broadly, despite the fact that many Afghans seeking entry to the United States are allies who supported U.S. forces and already undergo some of the most rigorous vetting processes in our immigration system.
Similarly, following a shooting connected to an academic environment involving a Brown University alumnus and an MIT professor, the response has included renewed efforts to shut down the Diversity Visa Lottery program, a longstanding, lawful pathway that allows individuals from underrepresented countries to immigrate to the U.S. and contribute to our economy and communities.
These actions may feel decisive in moments of national grief and anger. But they are not rooted in evidence. And they are not rooted in a clear-eyed assessment of risk.
They are rooted in fear.
What happens when we govern by fear?
When fear drives immigration policy, nuance disappears. Entire populations become suspect. Proven programs are dismantled. And America sends a message to the world that it no longer trusts its own systems or values.
If we operate from fear, we close our doors and clench our fists to the rest of the world…at our own peril.
That approach does not make us safer. It does not make us stronger. And it does not make us more prosperous. (See my op-ed from June 16, 2025, where I address this three-prong “test” set forth by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.)
In fact, it does the opposite by keeping out people who bring talent, innovation, resilience and perspective to the American experiment.
We need the best and brightest
The United States benefits enormously from international students who choose American colleges and universities. They fuel research and innovation, strengthen our workforce, contribute billions to the economy and build lasting ties between the U.S. and the rest of the world.
These students are not threats. They are assets.
When our policies shift unpredictably, or when we signal that international students are unwelcome, we lose them to other countries that are actively competing for global talent. That loss is not temporary. It compounds over time, weakening our higher education system and our global influence.
We must honor our commitments
America also has a moral and strategic obligation to refugees and to those who stood beside us in moments of conflict.
Afghans who supported U.S. troops did so at great personal risk. Ensuring their safety is not charity; it is a matter of honor and national credibility. When we fail them, we send a message to future allies that American commitments are conditional and expendable.
Refugees fleeing persecution are already among the most thoroughly vetted individuals seeking entry to the United States. Welcoming them reflects not weakness, but confidence in who we are as a nation.
Diversity is a strength, not a liability
A healthy immigration system facilitates the entry of people with diverse backgrounds, talents and perspectives, not a narrow, homogenous outcome.
Programs like the Diversity Visa Lottery exist precisely to ensure that America’s immigration flows reflect the richness that has long fueled our economic vitality and democratic strength. Eliminating such pathways in response to isolated acts of violence misunderstands both the source of risk and the source of American success.
America First or America Afraid?
“America First” should not mean “America Afraid.”
A confident nation builds immigration policies that are principled, lawful and humane. It distinguishes between risk and opportunity. It responds to tragedy with resolve and clarity, not panic.
We can secure our borders, uphold the rule of law and remain open to the world at the same time. These goals are not in conflict. They are mutually reinforcing.
The question is not whether immigration is complex (it is). The question is whether we will meet that complexity with fear or with foresight.
America’s future depends on choosing principle over panic and building an immigration system worthy of our values and our leadership role in the world.
David Clubb currently serves as executive director of the Cranwell Family Foundation, a family philanthropy based in Blacksburg. He previously served for nearly 30 years as a faculty member and senior administrator in international education and global engagement at higher education institutions across the United States, and currently works as a global consultant with Gateway International Group.
