Immigration Wars

Immigration Wars: Forging an American Solution is a 2013 non-fiction publication addressing Immigration to the United States, co-authored by Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida (1999–2007), and Clint Bolick, who serves as vice president of litigation at the Goldwater Institute based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Background

This work, jointly written by Jeb Bush and Clint Bolick, conveys their conservative viewpoints on immigration reform. Jeb Bush, son of the 41st U.S. president George H. W. Bush and sibling to the 43rd president George W. Bush, leads the Foundation for Florida's Future and chairs the Foundation for Excellence in Education. Clint Bolick is an attorney who founded the libertarian public-interest law organization Institute for Justice and holds the position of vice president of litigation at the Goldwater Institute.

The book was announced in late 2012 and released by Simon & Schuster in March 2013, aiming to engage policymakers and interested parties seeking practical immigration reform strategies.

Content

Prefaced by both authors, the book begins with Jeb Bush sharing his personal immigration connection through his wife, Columba Bush, who was born in Mexico. Clint Bolick reflects on his legal experience handling immigration-related cases.

• Chapter 1, titled 'A Proposal for Immigration Reform,' promotes a demand-driven immigration framework instead of national quotas and underscores the importance of teaching civics to newcomers.
• Chapter 2, 'The Immigration Imperative,' portrays immigration as a beneficial element for the United States.
• Chapter 3, 'The Rule of Law,' emphasizes the enforcement of laws concerning legal immigrants.
• Chapter 4, 'An Enduring Debate,' examines historical prejudice against immigrant groups such as Germans and Chinese.
• Chapter 5, 'The Human Dimension,' presents profiles of seven immigrants exemplifying the American Dream.
• Chapter 6, 'Immigration and Education,' advocates for charter schools and digital education as essential tools for integrating immigrants.

Concluding with a "Postscript: A Prescription for Republicans," the authors encourage presidential hopeful Mitt Romney to embrace a more favorable approach toward immigration.

Promotional efforts

On March 4, 2013, Bush and Bolick participated in a Q&A session at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank located in New York City, introduced by The Wall Street Journal's Daniel Henninger. A scheduled event at the libertarian Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., was canceled due to inclement weather. Later that month, Bush showcased the book at California’s Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, with the presentation broadcast multiple times on Book TV via C-SPAN. In November 2013, Bush also discussed the work at New York City's 92nd Street Y.

Critical reception

Reviews of the book were varied and occasionally sparked debate.

Prior to publication, Huffington Post suggested that Bush endorsed "self-deportation," despite his previous criticism of Mitt Romney’s position during the 2012 election cycle. Former advisers to Romney later deemed this portrayal inaccurate; Bush clarified that his stance on undocumented immigrants returning home to apply for citizenship was misunderstood and not reflected in the book. Marc Caputo from the Miami Herald speculated that this controversy might have been a deliberate publicity tactic. In National Review, Reihan Salam commended Bush’s proposals for their similarity to those of Brookings Institution fellow Peter Skerry, although Skerry himself disputed this parallel and favored training current low-skilled workers over increasing immigration.

Manuel Roig-Franzia of The Washington Post observed what appeared to be a shift in Bush’s immigration views—from supporting the DREAM Act in 2002 to adopting a more conservative tone in this book—and noted both Bush and Senator Marco Rubio as potential contenders for the 2016 presidency. Nate Cohn of The New Republic argued that Bush’s immigration policies were unlikely to attract Hispanic voters. Vincent J. Cannato from The Wall Street Journal described it as "a sensible look at immigration policy" but criticized its lack of clear details on limits or quotas and noted that prioritizing skilled immigrants over family reunification might alienate Hispanic communities. Similarly, John F. Rohe from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette pointed out the absence of explicit quotas and cautioned that pro-immigration policies could exacerbate resource strain and social issues.

Michael Wolff’s harsh review in The Guardian dismissed the book as self-promotional with minimal substantive content. In contrast, David DesRosiers from The Washington Times regarded it as essential reading for all residents and workers regardless of status. Anneke Green from the White House Writers Group praised it in U.S. News & World Report, urging consideration by the United States Senate of its immigration reform recommendations.

In July 2014, Bush and Bolick co-wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal addressing the surge of child migrants from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, referencing solutions proposed within Immigration Wars.