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TruCon 2024Immigration as a National Security Imperative
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Immigration as a National Security Imperative

The "Immigration as a National Security Imperative" panel at TruCon 2024, moderated by Camille J. Mackler, Truman’s Visiting Senior Fellow for Immigration, brought together a diverse group of immigration experts to explore immigration legislation options and innovative solutions aimed at bolstering America’s national security. Truman focuses on the nexus between immigration and national security through research and field work, and the panel offered an exclusive look into how immigration policy relates to issues such as the workforce and both national and international stability.

Panel Takeaways
  1. Military Perspective on Immigration: Louis Caldera, former Secretary of the Army, offered a unique perspective on the impact of immigration on US military readiness. He highlighted the challenges posed by policies deterring immigrants from joining the military and emphasized the need for cultural competency in military recruitment. “There are a lot of people that would be willing to serve if we opened up opportunities for them,” he said. “And in serving they would strengthen our security and the military.”
  2. Integrated Policy Approach: Ambassador Cynthia L. Courville (ret.) emphasized the necessity of an “an effective and all encompassing policy” on immigration and national security. Drawing on her experience within the National Security Council, Amb. Courville advocated for a three-tiered process that integrates the strategic, tactical, and operational components of policy development. She stressed the importance of actionable policies that involve collaboration across bureaucracies and underscored the significance of education and historical context in shaping immigration debates.
  3. Adapting Policy to New Migration Trends: Andrea Flores, Vice President of Immigration Policy & Campaigns at FWD.us, highlighted the need to adapt immigration and border policies to reflect evolving migration trends and demographics. She emphasized the ineffectiveness of existing policies in addressing contemporary migration challenges and called for bipartisan efforts to address humanitarian issues at the border. Flores also emphasized the negative impacts of past border policies and stressed the importance of research in understanding the consequences of anti-immigration measures.
  4. Comprehensive Approach to Immigration: Dr. Manuel Orozco, Director of the Migration, Remittances & Development Program at the Inter-American Dialogue, advocated for a comprehensive approach to the immigration and national security debate. He discussed the need to go beyond traditional national security measures and incorporate economic, diplomatic, development, and rule of law considerations. Dr. Orozco emphasized the importance of understanding migrants' motivations and tailoring policies accordingly to address root causes of migration, stating: “[we] need to understand with precision where the problem is coming from and how to tackle it.”

The panel provided valuable insights into the complex interplay between immigration and national security, examining proactive immigration legislation, integrated policy approaches, and the need to adapt to new migration trends, and offered actionable recommendations to address immigration challenges while enhancing national security.

‍Written by Alexandria Johnson and Chris Aboukhaled

Our Panelists

Louis Caldera

Louis Caldera

Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at Harvard Business School
Speaker Bio
Louis Caldera is a Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. He teaches Leadership and Corporate Accountability, a required first-year course in the MBA program. He has previously taught law school courses on corporate governance and legislative and democratic process, and his interests include strengthening democratic institutions, increasing economic opportunity, and building climate resilience.

Caldera is a corporate director and civic and nonprofit leader. After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy, he began his public service career as an Army officer. He then earned business and law degrees from Harvard University (MBA/JD ’87). He practiced banking and corporate law in Los Angeles before being elected to the California Legislature, where for five years he championed the interests of a multiracial, working-class district centered around downtown Los Angeles. Caldera chaired the Assembly Banking Committee and authored significant legislation on children's health and safety. In 1997, Caldera joined the Clinton administration as COO of the Corporation for National Service; in 1998, he was nominated by President Clinton and confirmed by the Senate to serve as Secretary of the Army. As Secretary, he introduced a vision of the Army as a more digital, versatile, and rapidly deployable force prepared to meet 21st century security challenges. He revamped Army marketing programs to reverse recruitment shortfalls, secured increased funding to modernize weapons platforms, and created the first distance education program for service members.
Ambassador Cindy L. Courville (retired), Ph.D.

Ambassador Cindy L. Courville (retired), Ph.D.

Former United States Ambassador to the African Union
Speaker Bio
Ambassador Cindy L. Courville (retired), Ph.D. is an American diplomat, national security expert, and educator who served as the first United States Ambassador to the African Union from 2006 to 2008.

Prior to her diplomatic appointment, Dr. Courville served as the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs from 2004 to 2006; as the Director for Southern and Central African Affairs from 2001-2003 at the National Security Council.

In the areas of U.S. national defense and intelligence,  Dr. Courville served as:  Senior Intelligence Officer for Africa U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency – Defense Operations from 2000 – 2001; Deputy Assistant Intelligence Officer for Africa Policy in the Defense Intelligence Agency from 1999 to 2000; and Director for East African Affairs from 1998 to 1999 Office of the Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs.
Andrea Flores

Andrea Flores

Vice President of Immigration Policy & Campaigns, FWD.us
Speaker Bio
Andrea R. Flores is the Vice President of Immigration Policy & Campaigns. She is an attorney and policy expert who has spent her career advising lawmakers on reforms to the immigration system. She most recently served as Chief Counsel to Senator Robert Menendez, where she helped negotiate a bipartisan bill to protect federal judges. Previously, she served as the Director of Border Management on the National Security Council and was a member of the Biden-Harris Transition team. At the ACLU, she led the organization’s national immigration advocacy work and on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, she served as a policy advisor on battleground state policy issues. Andrea also served three years in the Obama Administration, both at the White House Domestic Policy Council and the Department of Homeland Security, where she worked on a range of policies including the creation and implementation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and the 2013 Senate immigration bill. Andrea grew up in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and attended Columbia Law School and Harvard College. She is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Camille Mackler

Camille Mackler

Visiting Senior Fellow for Immigration, Truman Center
Speaker Bio
Camille Mackler is a thought leader, strategist, and legal expert on how global issues intersect with local concerns. With a focus on migration, national security, foreign policy, and human rights, Ms. Mackler has written and spoken extensively on some of the world's most pressing issues.

On the national stage, she has put her words into action by being on the frontline of many migration crises over the last two decades. A few examples include the legal response to the Muslim Travel Ban, working to reunite asylum-seeking parents with their parents during family separation policies, advocating for - and ultimately helping coordinate - the evacuation of Afghan allies after the Taliban takeover, and most recently addressing the increase of newly arrived immigrants to New York City from the US-Mexico border.

Throughout this work, Ms. Mackler has emphasized cultivating and strengthening women's leadership and promoting diverse and inclusive efforts that ensure voices in the conversation are representative of those who live with the consequences of policymakers' choices.
Dr. Manuel Orozco

Dr. Manuel Orozco

Director of the Migration, Remittances & Development Program, Inter-American Dialogue
Speaker Bio
Manuel Orozco is the director of the Migration, Remittances, and Development Program at the Inter-American Dialogue. He also serves as a senior fellow at Harvard University’s Center for International Development and as a senior adviser with the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

Orozco has conducted extensive research, policy analysis and advocacy on issues relating to global flows of remittances as well as migration and development worldwide. He is chair of Central America and the Caribbean at the US Foreign Service Institute and senior researcher at the Institute for the Study of International Migration at Georgetown University.

Orozco frequently testifies before Congress and has spoken before the United Nations. He holds a PhD in political science from the University of Texas at Austin, a MA in public administration and Latin American studies, and a BA in international relations from the National University of Costa Rica.
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