America has been built through immigration. The number and diversity of immigrants have served to fuel economic growth and contribute to some of the uniqueness that makes America a great and special nation.

The birthrate in the United States is 1.62 per woman, which is well below the replacement rate of 2.1. In addition, there are an estimated 8 million open jobs, most of which are due to a shortage of available workers. We need immigration to avoid a decline in our population and help fuel economic growth. Still, there is a difference between legal and illegal immigration.

Estimates are that 10 million to 20 million undocumented immigrants are in the country. In addition, it is estimated that a significant majority of the undocumented immigrants are employed, even though it is illegal to hire them.

The Trump administration is seeking to remove undocumented immigrants while focusing on those who have engaged in criminal acts in the United States or elsewhere. Realistically, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to deport all undocumented immigrants. In addition, it may be inappropriate and counter-productive to do so.

Many of the undocumented immigrants have been doing jobs in parts of the economy where they are sorely needed (e.g., agriculture, manufacturing, hospitality, construction). A majority of these workers have never been convicted of a criminal offense. They should be paying taxes, but may not be. After all, employers are not supposed to hire undocumented immigrants, but this provision has not been enforced effectively.

It is time to create a new temporary work VISA whereby employers can sponsor undocumented immigrants. The related people would be vetted, and the employer would pay a modest daily tariff (e.g., $25) for the right to employ them. This new tariff would generate significant revenue, and the related workers could come out of the shadows, pay their taxes, and make a more transparent, free and fair labor market.

It is also time to clarify the application of birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment. A reasonable approach would be to require that one of the parents must be a citizen for the child to be granted birthright citizenship.

Finally, we need to clarify that only legal residents are eligible for federal benefit programs. States can do something different if they so desire, but they will have to assume the cost.

We ultimately need to adopt a comprehensive national human capital strategy that assures us that we have the optimum number and mix of people we need to support a growing economy and our global competitiveness. It needs to include a comprehensive immigration strategy that is designed to help us attract and retain top talent while allowing for legitimate asylum requests.

It is time to start addressing our immigration challenges.

David M. Walker is a former comptroller general of the United States. Joe Penland Sr. is a businessman and the force behind the “Joe From Texas” movement that promotes fiscal responsibility and national debt reform. /InsideSources