While there may be a short-term rise in Anti-Immigration sentiments across the world, there has been a long-term increase in the favorability of ATII, even among countries that historically are insular. These opinions are shaped by the dynamics between the in-group and out-group, which are formed by immigration trends and the culture of each country. As immigration from a particular group increases, often in response to economic push factors, such as humanitarian crises or the destabilizing effects of economic development in their home countries, so too do feelings of xenophobia. Depending on how well-organized anti-immigration groups are, this can also result in a political change within the U.S. These political efforts, however, never result in a decrease in illegal immigration. As time passes and the out-group becomes assimilated, anti-immigration tendencies decrease. A similar trend can be predicted technologically. Despite a great push for more technological increases for border control, the constant exchange of power between political parties halts any effort. Although there are inventions created to make border control a safer, and more effective process, they have continuously failed to be implemented. On the other hand, however, the benefits to the technological sector stemming from immigration are obvious. Immigrants will only continue to generate more innovation for the United States. Immigrant-created technology has and will continue to create an influx of economic opportunity for Americans.
The findings of this report can be summarized as follows: 1) attitudes towards immigrants and immigration are increasingly favorable on a global scale, and have been in the U.S since World War II; 2) immigration is highly beneficial to receiving nations, as it often results in increased innovation and economic opportunity; 3) patterns of both immigration and ATII are cyclical, typically dictated by the political and economic climates of emigrant and immigrant destinations.
These conclusions ultimately highlight the importance of legal reform on immigration within the United States. While influencing immigration itself has proven to be difficult, if not nearly impossible, due to its highly nuanced and cyclical causes, our national response to immigration can be more easily adapted. Enacting policies in a manner less susceptible to changing political ideology, for one, would significantly reduce the difficulty of navigating the U.S. immigration system. A comprehensive overhaul of the system, however, is needed to address the inadequacies of our current national immigration policy.