A new “fact sheet” from the American Immigration Council peddles the shopworn argument that the U.S. economy needs more immigrants. In fact, AIC is spreading dangerous myths that defy logic and undercut American workers.
“There is no direct correlation between immigration and unemployment,” the immigration promoters proclaim.
Try shopping that trope in Realityville, where most Americans live.
Here are four fundamental facts:
- A record 95 million working-age Americans are out of the job market. Many of those millions have been pushed out by stagnating wages depressed by low-cost imported labor and diminished opportunities, particularly on the lower rungs of the economic ladder.
- From 2000-2014, all of the net increase in U.S. employment effectively went to immigrants.
- While AIC plumps for looser immigration laws, it ignores the fact that 11 million working-age immigrants are not working. So much for the notion that immigrants bring skills that are in high demand by U.S. employers.
- The ongoing, massive influx of immigrants comes at increasing cost to the public. In the past two years, Los Angeles County issued $1.3 billion in welfare payments to illegal immigrants, nearly one-quarter of its total payouts.
Open-border enthusiasts at AIC tout “welcoming” immigration policies ranging from sanctuary cities, to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), to a host of skilled- and unskilled-work permits that can lead to green cards (permanent residence). These programs have facilitated a record inflow of migrants – legal and illegal.
So what’s not to like? Corporate chieftains get more consumers and politicians can pander for more votes. Inside their gated communities, financial and cultural elites – like those at AIC — hire inexpensive maids and dirt-cheap landscapers while enjoying ever-expanding menus of trendy ethnic cuisine.
Meantime, more American workers are pink-slipped and John Q. Taxpayer gets fleeced. The economic chasm between rich and poor widens to Gilded Age proportions and the middle class shrinks under the onslaught.
Looking ahead, automation will make the continued importation of low- and semi-skilled labor inefficient, counterproductive and burdensome.
AIC doesn’t acknowledge any of this in its fact sheet. Rather, the council advocates doubling down on bad policies while bringing “cutting-edge lawsuits” on behalf of immigrants. As always, follow the money.