2020 presidential candidate Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke believes that eliminating the citizenship test for immigrants is “something for us to think about.”
While on a public panel discussion, O’Rourke was open to the idea of abolishing the requirement that immigrants pass a test before becoming naturalized citizens. This comment was made during a candidate forum this past weekend in Des Moines, Iowa.
During this discussion, the citizenship test mandated by law was described as “another structural barrier” for migrants. Yahoo News reporter Brittany Shepherd reported this comment on Twitter while in attendance at the Iowa event.
In typical fashion, O’Rourke gave a neutral response when pressed about the question of repealing the citizenship exam.
One panelist allegedly said that the citizenship test requirement that immigrants must go through is disrupting the flow of immigration to America. In the panelist’s view, this justifies its removal in order to streamline the process.
In its current form, the citizenship exam consists of two parts where in one section prospective citizens must demonstrate English proficiency in reading, writing and speaking. The second part of this exam tests civics knowledge. Applicants are asked 10 questions out of a pool of 100. To pass this section, an applicant must get six out of 10 correct.
While such a suggestion to abolish the citizenship exam seems far-fetched, it does make sense from an electoral standpoint.
Based on polling and certain demographic trends, Third World mass migration tends to favor Democrats significantly.
So, any reduced barrier to entry that facilitates mass migration would be welcomed by Democratic elites. Although Democrats would gain tremendously at the ballot box thanks to a looser migration policy, there could be unforeseen social consequences. Europe is Exhibit A of the corrosive social effects of mass migration, as migrant ghettoes are popping up left and right throughout the continent.
Such a scenario could become a reality in America if its current immigration system is kept intact, or in extreme cases, modified to encourage even larger migrant waves. Either way, the average American loses out.