U.S. legal immigration system doesn’t prioritize the economy [Video]

The U.S. has more foreign-born residents than any other country, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. The Census Bureau estimates that immigrants account for about 13.7% of the entire U.S. population.

But today, less than 1% of those looking to reside permanently in the U.S. can do so legally, according to research by the Cato Institute.

“Most other developed nations in the world have a much higher percentage of their immigration system based on economics,” according to Theresa Cardinal Brown, a senior advisor on immigration and border policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

In the U.S., 62.6% of permanent resident, or “green,” cards go toward family-sponsored immigrants, compared with just 21.1% for employment-based sponsorships, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Cato Institute estimates that just 1 in 1,500 new hires in the U.S. receives a green card through employment sponsorship programs.

The U.S. legal immigration system is in …