The Past and Future Role of Immigration in U.S. Population Growth

Marilyn DeYoung of Californians for Population Stabilization discusses the Rockefeller Commission, of which she was a member. She discusses fertility rates, US population growth, and the history of population stabilization efforts.

In 1970, President Nixon established the the Rockefeller Commission - the Commission on Population Growth and the American Future. The Commission concluded that US population must stabilize at 200 million to be sustainable (it is now over 310 million), that immigration should not exceed 400,000 per year, and that abortion should be legal.

The 1981 Hesburgh commission report and 1997 Barbara Jordan Commission reports are also discussed in this presentation. The Jordan Commission concluded that illegal immigration should be halted, that deportation is crucial, and legal immigration should be reduced to 550,000 per year.