Seeks to show how the US immigration policy was designed by political considerations. Briggs argues that policy neglected immigration's economic impact at a time when the country was entering a fundamental economic adjustment, the results of which are inconsistent with US national interest.

US immigration policy has stimulated the largest inflow of immigrants in the 1980s and 1990s than at any time in the history of the US. In this analysis, the author seeks to show how the policy was designed essentially by political considerations. Briggs argues that policy neglected immigration's economic impact at a time when the country was entering a fundamental economic adjustment. He believes that the US does not face labour shortage per se, but a shortage of quality labour. Yet immigration has led to a majority of new workers seeking unskilled jobs in declining sectors in manufacturing and services and has given rebirth to sweatshop enterprises and child labour law violations. For the first time in US history, ths author argues, the results of immigration policy are inconsistent with US national interest.