- Immigration
Border Patrol encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border fell by more than 80 percent between fiscal year 2024 and fiscal year 2025 to the lowest total since 1970. It is a remarkable outcome, and it has made the country more secure. But it is not the only immigration number worth watching. A second set of rules has been moving quietly through the regulatory process. These rules govern the channel through which the United States has historically recruited the world’s top technical talent.
This essay was released in partnership with the Aspen Strategy Group (ASG), which is proud to release a series of original papers and op-eds authored by ASG members and distinguished experts who participated in the 2026 ASG Summer Workshop. This collection, “The Future of the Americas: A New Agenda?,” examines strategic challenges and opportunities in the Western Hemisphere.
