Upwardly Global CEO Jina Krause-Vilmar was featured on The Hill with her op-ed, “A ‘baby bonus’ won’t save America, but immigration will.” In this piece, Jina challenges recent policy proposals aimed at increasing birth rates while simultaneously restricting immigration.
She examines the contradiction between “family support” policies and the lack of substantive measures that would truly help families thrive. Jina writes:
“At first glance, proposals to “support families” may seem well-intentioned. But little is done to materially support families once children arrive. There’s no universal childcare. No paid parental leave. No meaningful investments in affordable housing or job quality.
At the same time, access to abortion and contraception is being rolled back in a sweeping move to limit women’s options and control reproductive outcomes. The message is unmistakable: Have more babies, but don’t expect help.”
She also presents a powerful case for embracing immigration as a critical driver of America’s economic future, highlighting immigration’s vital contribution to the economy, with immigrants filling essential roles across numerous sectors and driving innovation in technology, medicine, and other fields. The op-ed presents compelling data demonstrating immigration’s critical role in maintaining America’s economic vitality:
- Without immigration, the U.S. labor force would be shrinking.
- 83% of current growth in the working-age population comes from immigrants and their children.
- Nearly 50% of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children.
- Approximately 36% of all U.S. patents in recent years are credited to foreign-born inventors.
However, she also argues that the current debate isn’t just about economics — it reflects deeper questions about American identity and who we choose to include in our vision of the future.
“Without immigration, the U.S. labor force would be shrinking, threatening everything from economic stability to the sustainability of Social Security and Medicare. According to Census data, 83 percent of current growth in the working-age population comes from immigrants and the children of immigrants. Immigrants are not a stopgap — they are the backbone of our future.
And yet, rather than embrace this reality, birth-rate policies double down on a fantasy that the nation can secure its future by growing a narrowly defined population from within, while shutting out those who don’t fit a preferred cultural mold.”
Rather than pursuing policies that treat childbirth as a “cultural weapon,” Jina advocates for building a country where all families can thrive regardless of background. This means embracing immigration, expanding reproductive rights, and investing in meaningful family support systems.