The US immigration debate continues to be a major concern for voters, with immigration listed as a top concern by many Republicans and independents. Last year, there were a record 2.5 million encounters with migrants at the US-Mexico border. President Trump plans to crack down on immigration and launch a mass deportation campaign similar to the infamous 'Operation Wetback' in 1954. Meanwhile, President Biden has expanded restrictions on asylum and promoted bipartisan legislation to give him greater authority over migration at the border. The current immigration debate in the US mirrors that of a century ago when the Immigration Act of 1924 was signed into law by President Calvin Coolidge. This law significantly reduced the country's foreign-born population and fundamentally altered its demographics for the next four decades. The 1924 law introduced a nationality-based quota system that limited future annual immigration and disproportionately favored immigrants from Northern and Western Europe. It also completely excluded immigrants from Asia. The law had a significant impact on the US labor force, as the number of low-skilled immigrants dropped substantially, reducing the supply of workers in labor-intensive industries such as agriculture. The US immigration policy expanded in 1965 to grant legal protections to asylum-seekers and refugees and eliminate national-origin quotas. Since then, efforts at immigration reform have faced congressional gridlock, resulting in most changes to US immigration policy being the result of executive authority. Today's immigration debate focuses primarily on undocumented migrants seeking asylum in the US. Both President Trump and President Biden have sought to restrict immigration, with Trump issuing numerous executive actions on immigration and Biden continuing many of those policies. However, the current hyperfocus on deterring migration often overlooks the economic benefits of increasing legal immigration pathways. Immigrants support an aging population, fill labor shortages, drive economic growth, and contribute to skilled industries. The influx of migrants has allowed the US to generate more jobs and outperform its European peers. It is important to consider the economic possibilities that a large immigrant population can bring when discussing immigration policy [4131ec33]. The current immigration debate recalls the restrictive Immigration Act of 1924, which significantly reduced the country's foreign-born population and altered its demographics for four decades. The 1924 law introduced a nationality-based quota system, disproportionately favoring immigrants from Northern and Western Europe and completely excluding immigrants from Asia. It also created the status of 'undocumented' and aimed to preserve U.S. ethnic homogeneity. The law reduced the number of low-skilled immigrants, impacting labor-intensive industries and hindering U.S. economic growth. The prevailing anti-immigrant sentiments of 1924 are reflected in travel bans implemented by both former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. The debate should consider the economic possibilities of a large immigrant population to avoid repeating past mistakes [7236c95d].