Broken Systems, Divided Politics: Miguel Santana, Rabbi Jill Jacobs, and David Leonhardt on the Future of U.S. Immigration Policy
JUDJ-Prepared Summary from October 9, 2025 | Raid, Rights and Reckonings: America’s Immigration Crossroads. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the speaker.
In a recent America at a Crossroads discussion, Miguel Santana (President & CEO of the California Community Foundation), Rabbi Jill Jacobs (CEO of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights), and David Leonhardt (Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and editorial director at The New York Times) examined the state of America’s immigration system—and what its dysfunction reveals about our politics, economy, and moral compass. Moderated by journalist Patt Morrison, the conversation explored how fear, misinformation, and decades of bipartisan inaction have created a system that serves neither immigrants nor citizen
A Nation Paralyzed by Policy and Politics
For generations, the United States has struggled to reconcile its self-image as a nation of immigrants with the political realities of border enforcement and national security. The panelists agreed that the issue has reached a breaking point. Immigration enforcement has grown increasingly militarized, while meaningful reform has stalled for decades. The result, Morrison noted, is a “system that punishes families and paralyzes the country.”
Each expert brought a unique lens to the crisis. Santana spoke from a civic and community perspective, describing how immigrant families in Los Angeles live in fear. Leonhardt analyzed the political and economic roots of polarization, while Rabbi Jacobs brought moral clarity to the ethical obligations Americans have toward the vulnerable. Together, they argued that America’s immigration debate has become less about policy and more about power—about who belongs, who benefits, and who decides.
Miguel Santana: The Human Cost of a Broken System
Santana described Los Angeles County—home to an estimated one million undocumented residents—as a microcosm of national failure. “These are not transients,” he said. “They’re homeowners, parents, essential workers who have lived here for decades.” Yet the federal government’s enforcement tactics have created a climate of fear that reaches deep into schools, hospitals, and workplaces.
He highlighted a stunning contradiction: while the administration claimed to be targeting criminals, 70% of those detained have no criminal record. Many, he noted, were arrested while trying to regularize their status. The deeper issue, Santana warned, is that this crackdown represents more than immigration policy—it’s a test run for authoritarian power. “This is a laboratory,” he said, “for eroding civil society itself.”
David Leonhardt: How Economics and Elites Shaped the Crisis
Leonhardt placed the debate in historical and global context, arguing that the immigration system has long reflected economic imbalances. While businesses and affluent Americans benefit from lower-cost labor, working-class citizens often bear the wage pressure. “Immigration isn’t a free lunch,” he said. “It raises GDP but can suppress wages for certain workers.”
He faulted both parties for failing to address legitimate public concerns. Democrats, he argued, moved toward an open-border idealism detached from working-class realities, while Republicans weaponized fear and misinformation for political gain. Leonhardt pointed to Denmark’s center-left government—which combines social welfare with strict immigration controls—as evidence that balance is possible. Without it, he warned, populist backlash will continue to grow in the U.S. and abroad.
Rabbi Jill Jacobs: Restoring the Moral Compass
For Rabbi Jacobs, the debate over immigration is fundamentally about justice and dignity. Drawing from Jewish law and historical experience, she emphasized that the moral test of a nation lies in how it treats the stranger. “Every immigrant group has faced the same accusations—that they’ll ruin the culture, bring disease, or take jobs,” she said. “It wasn’t true then, and it isn’t true now.”
She urged Americans to move beyond paralysis and take action—whether by volunteering, accompanying immigrants to court, or simply building more compassionate communities. “You don’t have to do everything,” she said. “Just do something.”
The Path Forward: Rebuilding Trust and Leadership
All three panelists agreed that America’s immigration crisis is a symptom of deeper political dysfunction. Comprehensive reform will require courage from both parties—and empathy from the public. Santana and Leonhardt expressed cautious optimism that as extremism sparks backlash, moderate, humane solutions may reemerge.
As Rabbi Jacobs concluded, “The question is not just how we treat immigrants—it’s who we are as a country.”
If America can align policy with principle, the panelists suggested, the nation might rediscover something even more valuable than reform: a renewed sense of shared purpose.
About America at a Crossroads
Since April 2020, America at a Crossroads has produced weekly virtual programs on topics related to the preservation of our democracy, voting rights, freedom of the press, and a wide array of civil rights, including abortion rights, free speech, and free press. America at a Crossroads is a project of Jews United for Democracy & Justice.