One memory from when I first immigrated to the US will always stick with me. I was on a school trip with my school’s Model UN club from Houston to Austin when we stopped at Buc-ee’s, every Texan’s favorite gas-station/pitstop/hunting supply store/brisket stand, for the first time. I didn’t actually buy that much. I was too busy gawking at the endless rows of snacks, drinks, and hot food on offer. And the giant beavers everywhere. I remember eating a Buc-ee’s brisket sandwich for the first time and thinking to myself, “This is what America tastes like.” I had never seen anything even remotely like it. I was a little overwhelmed, but totally amazed. And, in a way, that’s what America felt like to me. It was big, welcoming, and full of possibilities.
But if Buc-ee’s can serve thousands of customers per day with ruthless efficiency, low costs, a plethora of choices (and clean bathrooms to boot) shouldn’t the American immigration system do the same? America’s immigration system should give immigrants the same sense of wonder that Buc-ee’s does–but it doesn’t. Too often, immigrants and prospective immigrants face significant, sometimes insurmountable, hurdles.
The problem that lies at the root of our immigration system is simple: wait times that are far too long for far too few opportunities. The current system faces an astonishing backlog of 1.5 million asylum applications (“Immigration Courts”). For some types of visas, such as the EB-2 work visa (for foreign nationals with advanced degrees or exceptional abilities), wait times have been reported to be as long as 120 years (Khandelwal). By being more efficient, welcoming, and providing more opportunities, our immigration system can give every immigrant the same sense of opportunity and wonder that Buc-ee’s does.
The first order of business would be to solve our overreliance on outdated and antiquated technologies. While many parts of the immigration process have modernized in recent years, such as being able to complete paperwork online and waiving interview requirements have resulted in better efficiency, many of these processes didn’t last after the COVID-19 pandemic (Muzaffar). At Buc-ee’s, innovations such as self-checkout, touchless payment, and improved consumer transaction technologies ensure that they take advantage of all the benefits of the digital age. Our immigration system should strive to do the same. Rather than roll back on modernization efforts, it can create a seamless and less intimidating immigration experience by doubling down on them.
There are several proposals on how our immigration system could be adapted for the 21st century, which would make the immigration process as straightforward as the shopping experience at Buc-ee’s. The lowest-hanging fruit include allowing more to be done online, such as digitizing paperwork, allowing interviews and immigration trials to be conducted online. This frees up physical space, allows documents to be processed more seamlessly. For added efficiency, AI and advanced algorithms could be used to process parts of these documents without any human involvement at all. Simple tasks, such as cross-checking for fraud, translating foreign-language documents, and simple eligibility screening could be automated. This would reduce wait times and allow immigration officers to focus on more complicated immigration cases. In Canada, these methods are already being implemented in its system, albeit on a smaller scale, as part of a series of overhauls to its immigration system (“How we”).
At Buc-ee’s, everyone belongs. There is something for everyone, whether that’s cheap gas, brisket-scented candles, or a comically large chainsaw just in case you needed to clear some trees on your road trip. Our immigration system should provide a similar selection of options for those seeking to work, study, or live in the US by expanding its existing catalog of choices. For example, Estonia recently rolled out programs for those seeking to work in Estonia or with Estonians. The first is the E-Residency, which gives foreigners the right to establish an online business in Estonia and access to Estonia’s e-services. The other, the Digital Nomad Visa, is a short-term visa that allows foreign nationals to temporarily work remotely in Estonia for one year. Both cater to those seeking to invest or work in Estonia, with short wait times of about 30 days (“Digital Nomad”). These options are the immigration equivalent of brisket-scented candles; a quirky, niche offering that meets a very specific need. These options would give entrepreneurs and investors an alternative to traditional work visas, allowing them a pathway to invest in the United States, and attracting remote workers to increase investment in American communities and businesses.
Immigration policy has always been a controversial topic, and many have had concerns about what increased immigration (a natural consequence of increased efficiency and expanded opportunities) would mean for ourselves and our country. Chief among them has to do with costs, such as the costs associated with processing applications, more taxpayer funding to programs like Medicaid to accommodate new beneficiaries, or displacement of American jobs and talent. While these are valid concerns, the return on investment makes these upfront costs worth it. For example, current immigrants pay nearly 500 billion dollars in taxes, which fund vital programs like Social Security and Medicaid (“Do Immigrants”). Just as Buc-ee’s sees its spotless bathrooms as a way to incentivize customers to return, we should view immigration reform as a vital investment to keep America competitive and thriving.
While immigration is definitely much more complicated than a gas station, Buc-ee’s represents an American ideal that should be represented by its immigration system. A place where everyone, including immigrants like myself, feel dazzled and welcomed. Buc-ee’s gained its cult following in Texas by investing into efficiency, hospitality, and variety. Through reforming our immigration system with the same principles to make it more modern and welcoming, we can once again make America a beacon of hope, not an endless labyrinth of delays. After all, a nation built by immigrants deserves a system to serve its own immigrants as unapologetically American as Buc-ee’s itself.
