Unserious People
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Audio Recording by George Hahn
Why don’t we fix our immigration system? A: It’s too profitable.
The best marketers in the world are tobacco companies, tech companies, universities, and the Republican Party. The GOP primarily represents the wealthiest 1% of Americans and corporations, yet manages to get about 47% of the vote, because people will support reducing the top marginal tax rate, hoping they’ll someday benefit. The Democratic brand is less powerful, as they are often guilty of being correct. And ineffective. Voters prefer mendacious and strong vs. well-meaning and weak. Biden is likable, yet under his watch taxes on corporations went down and women lost their right to bodily autonomy. (Note: I realize SCOTUS had something to do with it.)
Two years ago the governors of Texas and Florida started sending detained undocumented immigrants to bastions of the Democratic Establishment, including New York City and Martha’s Vineyard. Many progressives, including myself, were appalled at the weaponization of vulnerable people. But it was a genius PR move on the part of the GOP.
Similarly, in February, Donald Trump commanded his acolytes in Congress to kill a bipartisan foreign aid and immigration bill that would have, among other things, provided funding for border barriers and enforcement personnel and given the Department of Homeland Security the power to close the border to asylum seekers. Why? Trump, like most politicians before him, is more interested in politicizing the issue than addressing it.
The former President claims that he brought illegal immigration to its lowest level in history (he didn’t), that a large share of immigrants are coming to this country from prisons and mental hospitals (no proof of that), and that Democrats have signed “illegals” up to vote in large numbers in our elections (again … false). Then there are the claims re Haitian immigrants dining on dogs and cats and Venezuelan gangs taking over Colorado. Not happening — but it would make an awesome episode of The Last of Us.
I’d like to believe telling these campfire tales about immigration would hurt Trump, but they likely help his campaign. The sensational (i.e., bullshit) captures the attention of the media and the algorithms, which square the spotlight on immigration. So Trump is lying, but Harris then needs to explain why after four years of her and Joe Biden, fentanyl is still flowing through our ports and over our borders, and we still have undocumented immigrants crowding into shelters, schools, and emergency rooms in border towns and cities across the country.
Arizona Senator Mark Kelly summarized the issue well: The GOP is insincere about immigration, and the Democrats don’t understand it. The immigration debate is intellectually dishonest. Again, why? Simply put, the upside of illegal immigration outweighs the downside. Illegal immigration is “a good problem.”
An Unscientific Personal Anecdote
Twenty years ago I was renovating a house. I needed to finish the basement, but didn’t have the money to build a proper man cave, just a livable space with some built-ins. But nobody would take the job. The two quotes I managed to secure were more than the down payment on my first home. When I asked to meet with one of the sub-contractors, he was a no-show. Finally, my general contractor and I drove to a local 7-11, where several people rushed his truck. The GC asked them some questions in Spanish, and six guys jumped in the back.
These men, each one with a different skill, worked around the clock, only taking breaks to make design suggestions. They weren’t just laborers, they were craftsmen. Skilled, hardworking, conscientious — and reasonable. Were they taking American jobs? No, as there were no Americans willing to do those jobs. Take this times 2 million (Pew estimates there are 12 million undocumented workers), and you get the scale of what is likely the most agile, inexpensive, and effective labor force in the world.
Construction, hospitality, health care, Big Ag, Big Chicken, and Big Beef all rely on this flexible workforce. Once in a while, an industrial chicken packing plant is raided for employing people without papers, but those are mostly for show. We haven’t wanted to fix this problem in any real way as we make a shit ton of money from it — these are the most profitable immigrants in history — and the people who profit from them are … all of us. Yes, there are instances of crime, and waves of migrants do tax our social services. But again, every day, we decide it’s worth it by doing … nothing.
The Ghost of Milton Friedman and Big Immigration Myths
The political “discussion” of the issue has become dominated by myths and misleading tropes.
One of the biggest is that crossing the southern border on foot is how most undocumented immigrants come into the country. Actually, 50% or more of the people here illegally fly into the country with a work visa and then overstay their visa. No border wall is going to be high enough to keep them out. We’ve made the “border” synonymous with “illegal immigration.” It’s not. The wall is just a logo, not a serious attempt to fix the problem.
Another myth is that undocumented people take jobs from Americans and don’t contribute to the economy. Way back in the ’70s, conservative economic icon Milton Friedman, a fan of free trade and open borders, observed that unrestricted Mexican immigration to the U.S. is a net good thing — as long as it stays illegal.
Immigration is the secret sauce of the U.S. economy. Estimates vary, but researchers have estimated that all immigrants (legal and undocumented) contribute about $3.3 trillion to the U.S. economy annually. That’s as much as 17% of our GDP. And undocumented immigrants pay about $100 billion a year in payroll, property, and sales taxes. These “illegals” are paying into Social Security, and most of them will never see a dime of it.
To be clear, illegal immigration is an issue that warrants a serious response. Friedman in 1977 said U.S. employers and consumers were happy to reap the benefits of an undocumented workforce as long as the costs (housing, social services, health care, crime) remained low. Now, however, many believe we may be at or past the point where the strain of accommodating these new arrivals has become too high. Ask anybody who lives in Eagle Pass, Texas or Sweden.
Another myth that’s often invoked as part of the debate, however, is that undocumented immigrants commit crimes at a higher rate than permanent residents. Whenever an immigrant (here illegally or not) is involved in a serious accident or implicated in a crime, politicians jump all over it. Historically, though, immigrants have committed crimes and been incarcerated at significantly lower rates than U.S. born citizens.
Demand Problem
The economic dynamics behind illegal immigration and our collective lack of will to do anything about it are pretty simple. If, for whatever reason good or bad, we wanted to put a stop to illegal immigration, it wouldn’t be that hard. (We could also easily eliminate some of the worst aspects of social media by imposing age gates, if we were serious about that problem.)
We focus on the supply side of the equation, which is largely a waste of time. Lots of people around the world believe — correctly — that they and their families will live healthier, happier, and more prosperous lives in the U.S. We can’t keep drugs out of our prisons, yet we believe we can seal a 5,500-mile-long border?
The fix is on the demand side. If we want to stop illegal immigration, we need to decrease demand by raising the costs and enacting real deterrence. The quickest route to a solution would involve punishing employers. Create a biometric database of documented immigrants. Then levy any employer who knowingly hires somebody who’s not on it with a $10,000 fine. No restaurant is going to risk getting hit for $50,000 hiring five cooks or dishwashers without papers. No chicken processing plant is going to risk a $1 million fine for hiring 100.
This, of course, will likely not happen. Too many of the people who employ undocumented workers also employ lobbyists and give significant money to politicians. Those politicians are happy to accommodate their backers and exploit the racism and fear of many Americans by continuing to tell lies about immigration.
Pick Your Battles
I believe one of the keys to healthy relationships and relative harmony is to not inject agita (argue, get upset, etc.) when the stakes are low. To not create disharmony where there isn’t a real problem. Yes, illegal immigration is a real problem, but why let it divide us when neither side seems genuine about fixing it, or even having an honest discussion? I believe we will have immigration reform once the perception of the problem appears to eclipse the benefits of our existing hush-hush system. And maybe that time has come.
The fix will need to come in the middle of the election cycle; the issue is too easy for politicians to demagogue when they’re campaigning. Again, if we’re serious about the issue, why was the legislation presented during an election year?
The Biggest Benefit
The biggest benefit of illegal immigration has been … love. Stay with me here. A 2018 study by the Migration Policy Institute estimates 13% of child-care workers are undocumented and almost a third of home-health-care workers are immigrants. The New American Economy Research Fund reported in 2020 that approximately 280,000 undocumented immigrants work in the U.S. health-care system, many in support and caregiving roles.
These workers often fill critical gaps in the caregiving workforce, particularly in roles that are challenging to fill owing to low wages, demanding conditions, or the lack of domestic workers willing to take on these jobs. Their contributions are significant, but their undocumented status can also leave them lacking access to many worker protections and vulnerable to exploitation.
A knee-jerk reaction taken from the fascist handbook of demonizing immigrants (e.g., mass deportations, detention camps) would have a devastating effect on the U.S. It would be inflationary and reduce the compassion millions of undocumented workers bestow on our children and the elderly. Punishing immigrants could be the U.S. version of Brexit — a self-inflicted injury.
There is a cartoon of an undocumented worker criminalizing his way across the nation, carrying a backpack of fentanyl, stopping to dine on your cocker spaniel. A more accurate depiction is a person who keeps our costs lower, is vulnerable to exploitation, and cares for your kids and parents when you aren’t able.
Life is so rich,
P.S. Richard Reeves, the president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, joined me this week on the Prof G Pod to discuss his latest research on male deaths and his take on the script for masculinity. Listen here on Apple podcasts or here on Spotify.
P.P.S. Section’s COO, Taylor Malmsheimer, is hosting an executive briefing on the state of AI proficiency in the workforce. If you’re a leader with a goal of meaningful AI adoption in 2025, you should join. RSVP for free.
Imagine being a 50 some year old person who has spent their entire adult lives working for a living, paying taxes, paying into the system, and just watching your country being openly looted in front of your eyes.
42 Billion for high speed internet. Not a single house set up for high speed internet (SCAM)
85+ billion dollars in state of the art brand new military equipment abandoned to our enemies in Afghanistan.(KICKBACK)
200+ billion to Ukraine (KICKBACK)
Countless billions to Israel over the years (KICKBACK/BLACKMAIL)
New York has 150 hotels filled with illegal aliens, spending over 1 billion a year on illegal aliens (SCAM / KICKBACKS)
FEMA spent 1 billion on illegal aliens in 2 years, now broke and can’t pay hurricane survivors.
Then you have a horrible storm that comes in and destroys your town.
Bodies in trees, bodies in the streets, naked children wandering the streets asking for their parents.
Misery and death everywhere.
And the government that you have paid into your entire life that is supposed to be there to support you in times like this, has completely abandoned you.
Imagine for a moment what that must feel like.
The System is Out To Get You.
Excellent newsletter and true to form, you waste no time in getting to the point and exploring it from every angle. I grit my teeth from beginning to end. It makes me angry how people get exploited like they are there to be used by the more fortunate. I asked a Texan friend about why this border issue never seems to go anywhere, and he responded like what you say here – “ cheap labour”. I remember listening to a speech my Milton Friedman on YouTube saying exactly that. – When they’re off the grid, you don’t have to pay social benefits. 🙄Slavery lives on and is alive and well in the USA. Thanks for being so honest about this issue. Expect all the BS about party affiliation blah blah blah as the plight of these people ( the real issue) gets pushed to the background.
It’s amazing how democrats are disconnected from reality and can fit so many lies in so few words. In one paragraph he’s complaining about Trump killing a border bill (no proof), in another says that border is not important at all! Cites Friedman about
Scott’s not alone in having missed the shift in the Democratic party from that of the working middle class to that of the rich and special interests.
When you ally yourself with the Chaney’s and against people like Robert Kennedy and Tulsi Gabbard, you’re not on the side of the people.
Your article confused me….I don’t know much which is why I enjoy reading your articles ong others for a wider pov but this one got me stumped….at the outset, let me say that I am from India and have absolutely no interest in immigrating to America but I know that all of you claiming to be “Americans ” were all immigrants at one point of time and let’s be honest about it, your article while seemingly supportive/positive about immigrants is actually instigating the very opposition and deliberately so. All of you who are now well settled in that “land of opportunity ” now want to save it for yourselves and keep the hungry, opportunists from other countries out from taking a piece of “the pie”. Didn’t your ancestors do the exact same thing to those poor innocent Native Americans? Human history is about people constantly moving in search of growth (in all terms) and if you are trying to keep immigrants out – not just the undocumevted, illegals- (cos that’s the actual implication of your article as I read it) then you could be upfront about it and just say that you are against immigration.
As a legal immigrant to Australia, I have to disagree with your argument and conclusion. With a birthrate below 2.1 US, Australia and many other western nations need immigration, very few are against it, if it is done right. I had medical, criminal and financial checks done on me, I had to be of a certain age, and I had no access to social security for several years, in other words, there is a pretty good chance I would be a net gain to Australia. People flooding over the border – often the most desperate – is not how you want to build your population. Oh, and saying that we are a nation of immigrants is correct, and that should continue, but immigrants are entering a developed country now, with hospitals, schooling, social security, policing, jobs etc, so the US and Australian people can be selective, they have earned the right.
Biden-Kamala Regime Burns $1 BILLION in FEMA Funds to Resettle Illegal Immigrants — FEMA Now Lacks Resources for Disaster Response
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) allocated nearly $364 million in the fiscal year 2023 and $650 million for the 2024 fiscal year to the “Shelter and Services Program” “to provide humanitarian services to noncitizen migrants following their release from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),” according to the government’s website.
Mayorkas told reporters on Wednesday. “FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season.”
America is being looted and destroyed from the inside, top down, by people that hate America.
I would not want to be standing anywhere near these people when the tide turns.
Hey Scott
Gys here from the amazing city of Cape Town 😎
South Africa moved to a democracy in 1994 and having Nelson Mandela as our first democratic president who inaugurated, what is largely considered as the best constitution for a nation.
We’ve moved from an autocratic, apartheid system of the past in which South Africa has transformed itself.
We’ve had our issues , and continue to work on them, but we’re a tenacious , passionate multicultural people
I’m a privileged white male in my early 50’s and seeing and being part of this incredible transformation has been a sight to behold and experience. We’re fairly good at Rugby 🏉 too.
Let’s be kinder, let’s listen, be more vulnerable, intrigued and accepting of other people’s cultures, religions and ethnicity.
BTW you left Cape Town off your city arbitrage list 😎🇿🇦
Thank you for your amazing work Scott
It’s really odd listening to rich white liberal folks when they talk about their interactions with people of color. They get all excited and cherish those moments, even if they were from decades ago.
The richer they are (millionaires to multi-millionaires) the more disconnected they come off with the rest of the human race when they tell their stories.
“Did I ever tell you guys about the time 20 years ago that I actually interacted with some illegal aliens? It was awesome!”
I’m glad you had a positive experience with those illegal aliens 20 years ago.
But just because you had that positive experience with those entrepreneurs that were out there hustling for work in a parking lot 20 years ago doesn’t automatically mean that EVERY SINGLE illegal alien crossing the border today is going to have that exact same work ethic or be a benefit to society.
Well have you spoken with any contractors lately? Every roofer, painter, landscaper and general contractor I have ever known (and I’ve know a few) hires immigrants, many of whom I assume are undocumented, because they cannot find anyone else. Even if they tripled what they could pay, there are literally not enough able-bodied young men in the area where I live who don’t already have good jobs to fill these positions. They simply do not exist. And the story is always the same: These guys work really hard, do what they are asked to do, stay until the job is done and never make any trouble.
Could you explain or tell me where to go to understand how undocumented people pay into Social Security/Federal Taxes, etc.
New data from US Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) reveals that over 650,000 migrants with criminal histories were let loose in the United States between ‘mid-May 2023 through the end of July 2024
“As of July 21, 2024, there were 662,566 noncitizens with criminal histories on ICE’s national docket, which includes those detained by ICE and on the agency’s non-detained docket. Of those, 435,729 are convicted criminals, and 226,847 have pending criminal charges.”
Of those, more than 13,000 illegals convicted of homicide
15,000 convicted of sexual assault are roaming the country.
National Docket Data for Noncitizens by Criminality and Most Serious Charge Category as of July 21, 2024
Sorry, Scott, I can’t take your article seriously when you make a claim that BOTH parties are not serious about immigration reform.
The GOP? Yes. Of course, that’s on display everyday. It can’t and hasn’t succeeded on its own since buying into the myth of Reagan when they cut taxes and started giving away easy money thru deficit spending.
The Dems: We balanced the budget, created 50x more American jobs than the GOP over the same 40 years, adopted Obamacare, reinvested in America …
We don’t care about immigration b/c it’s in the backyard of red states that can’t critically think or adopt policies to help themselves. And so it goes…
The biggest reason our politics fails is fear.
Conservatives fear change, and will fight it even when its clearly a good thing. Liberals fear responsibility, and fail to act even when the outcome is bound to be positive. Both sides bunch their panties and nothing changes. Don’t know why this is, but I’ve seen it play out around the world for the last 50 years.
It’s pretty simple the world over. If you take undocumented migrants out of the system, the prices that the privileged population like us moan about will go UP exponentially. If you can get anyone to serve, wash, clean build or make your hotel bed. This is not new (I’m originally from the UK and it was well known that the majority of hotel staff were from Portugal and undocumented. And this was way before BREXIT).
The moral cowardice of politicians globally to address this issue had led to the myopic view many people have of immigrants and to the demonization of people just trying to make a better life for themselves.
Isn’t that the American Dream?
Fix the system, not punish the workers
Scott, thank you for this excellent piece. My only comment is in response to your characterization of “the weaponization of vulnerable people.” I’m pretty sure that I’m correct when I recall Mayor De Blasio signing a law making NYC a Sanctuary City along with the statement that “New York City has long been and should continue to be a destination for immigrants seeking a better life for themselves and their families.” Texas’ governor did nothing more than take NYC up on its invitation. Policies have consequences, and elected officials should have forseen that.
What do you make of the data recently released by ICE? Also, I think your point on migrant incarceration rates is “on target” but it shooting down the wrong firing range. I don’t think people dispute that undocumented migrants commit crime at a lower rate or at the same rate, I think people are concerned that they commit additional crime (+1) on top of the crime we already have to deal with. Or that they consume healthcare when physician supply is scarce. It’s the net positive gain people that people seem to be concerned with. What is our response to that?
As I view some of the 57 comments, there are a few that I question what the heck they are saying and wonder how Scott doesn’t lose his sh-t and unsubscribe them from this free weekly blog. Freedom of speech means that a few can spew nonsense and pat themselves on their back for being brave. Just UFB Ken, Smith, Joe, Hughes, Brad, Jim….
You are a wonderful person Scott Galloway. You are kind, smart and brave. You should be very proud of the human being you are. Keep on being brave.
This cycle is driven by the lgbtq Takeover of the Democrat Party and it looks like the son of America and the fact that the Irish mafia that runs the country has fed our racist instincts and witness for sex and gambling and vice and immorality
What a great article on immigration- too bad you spoiled it on your view of Republicans. I’m a Republican who will vote for Harris knowing that her economic policies will not be good for me or the country. Trump is simply unfit. Regardless, many regular citizens vote Republican because they know that big government is not the solution to our problems and likely the source of many of them. Lower taxes is only one of the many benefits to voting Republican. I am hoping for a Harris presidency and gridlock to get us post Trump forever.
Republicans care about lower taxes for the rich. Not for normal people. Neither Dems or Repubs should ever talk about raising taxes again. They are high enough. They should simplify the tax code. Pure and simple. That is the issue and not the tax rate.
Biometrics. Now there’s a slippery slope. I’m all for it. Line em up. Voters,drivers, gun owners, trusted travelers…wait that’s me. Not in my backyard.
As usual you have nailed it. This summer in rural Maine there were not enough workers to keep the restaurants open. The ferries would not always run as they did not have enough staff. Part of the problem is housing as in a summer community like seashore Maine there is no place for seasonal workers to stay. In Vinalhaven there is a disused factory which would be perfect for low cost housing if some adventurous person or entity refurbished it.
Brexit was a self-inflicted injury in the same way that removing a cancer is a self-inflicted injury. Stick to what you know.
I agree, Britain is cancer.
Hmmmnnnn. . .I am unaware of any cancer that, after you remove it, trashes your GDP and your national treasury and destroys the career of the surgeon (i.e. Conservative Party) who removed it. Also never heard of anybody who said after the tumor was removed, Wait! I wished I had not removed it, as the majority of UK survey respondents have said after Brexit.
“Note: I realize SCOTUS had something to do with it.”
Then why even say it, when overturning Roe v. Wade had nothing to do with Biden and certainly didn’t show that he’s weak. This constant denigration of Dems by progressives (and I am one, but I know better) is massive foot shooting.
“started sending detained undocumented immigrants”
No, they’re asylum seekers. Another sort of foot shooting is constantly accepting right wing lies. I lost track of how many times I had to tell people, left and right, that the Springfield Haitians were not only here legally but were invited to Springfield. The difference, of course, is that those on the left eventually caught one whereas those on the right kept repeating the lies even when they knew they were lies because they’re unscrupulous blackhearted racists.
“Arizona Senator Mark Kelly summarized the issue well: The GOP is insincere about immigration, and the Democrats don’t understand it.”
So a ridiculous stupid childish dishonest sweeping generalization summarizes the issue well?
This is exhausting and I don’t have time or patience to read the rest. Stop shooting that stupid gun.
As an erudite writer agita is incorrect slang Italian correct word is acitita eg acidity. rare to see an error on your part you watched too many Sopranos with NJ slang .
There are levels of hypocrisy. Are u aware the Prince of Bavaria deported DJT’s gramps? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree-Friedrich Trump tried to avoid service immigrating to America. Here he made $ on brothels. With a German wife who hated America he asked for repatriation but Friedrich shirked his duty (same consequence needed for his grandson). I read the Economist daily, but tropes of ‘dishonest liberals’, ‘criminal illegals’ are lazy/factually inaccurate. DJT skirted immigration law for Melania’s parents. “Because SS rules link benefit level to lifetime covered earnings, immigrants receive lower benefits than native-born. Eligibility for retirement benefits requires worker accrue 40 quarters of coverage by meeting earnings thresholds over a min of 10 years. Many immigrants have insufficient quarters of earnings (or reported earnings) to qualify. Empirical evidence confirms projected & actual benefits are lower for immigrants than natives, even after controlling for extensive array of health- socioeconomic characteristics. Cohen & Iams (2007) used microsimulation to predict foreign-born will be significantly less likely to receive Social Security benefits. Favreault & Nichols (2011) linked Survey of Income and Program Participation data to administrative SS records & found immigrants have lower SS benefits than natives. They found immigrants are much more likely to make SS payroll-tax contributions but not be eligible for benefits”
I love how Prof is for illegal immigrants as long as they are not in his back yard!
That is not the point he is making. We should reform the legal immigration system and allow people who’s claims are being processed to work while they wait
Scott I know you have almost zero interest in working on the ‘inside,’ but please consider becoming involved in our national politics–maybe as an advisor to Kamala should she be out next prez? This country is desperate for intelligent, clear-eyed–i.e. DATA driven, but empathetic people like yourself. I know, that likely means you would have to tone down your ‘wild and crazy guy’ image along with censoring some of your 80’s college humor, but I for one think it would be worth it.
I second this. I know Scott is shy and probably has self doubt but Scott if you are reading this you got the goods. I am serious. You were either born with it or you developed it through advertisity but you came out perfect. Humility, decency, wicked smart and fearless. The makings of someone would could truly impact the world in a positive way. Happy to share the earth with you.
I arrived legally in the USA in 1995, became a citizen in 2007, and though I haven’t lived there since 2008, I still pay taxes every year. As a Latina, woman, and single mother, I was a triple minority and never waited for help. I worked hard to succeed, embracing American values like honesty and productivity.
If someone can travel thousands of miles and pay $5,000 to a coyote, risking their life and their family’s, they could easily follow a legal process. This would help keep criminals out and prevent the world from thinking they can just enter the USA illegally. Meanwhile, my nephew’s fiancée, a talented upscaled, young woman from Brazil, has been denied a visitor visa twice. The system could be fixed with smart planning, but many politicians seem more focused on staying in power than solving the real issues. We deserve better.
“The system could be fixed with smart planning, but many politicians seem more focused on staying in power than solving the real issues. We deserve better.” This.
The system could be fixed but a large enough minority of citizens and their elected representatives want zero illegal immigration and, relatedly, near-zero legal immigration.
Excellent post, as usual.
This is EXACTLY what I’ve been telling people for years! Except I generally used a higher fine, $50,000, for any company that was caught with undocumented workers. The point is to make the penalty too large to ignore.
It still would be better if employers paid a little more and sponsored immigrants to come over legally when needed than bringing lots of people over to serve as an at-will cheap labor force. The workers get treated better when they come in legally.
We need to make it easier for workers to come legally, but not to just walk in illegally because it’s more convenient for some cheap companies.
You fail to address how illegal immigrants are receiving benefits that struggling Americans do not receive. checks for thousands of dollars? squatting rights? It is incredibly disrespectful for the government to favor people who were not born and bred here in the states. I would love to see our homeless people off the streets, citizens get themselves cleaned up. But this aid is given to people who are not from here, and have not gone through processes legally, it’s wrong. I really like how you addressed both the republican and democratic party short comings. But, some of your sources/information are questionable. I have information and proof refuting. At the end of the day this is what politics do. Promote propaganda and divide.
Scott has obviously not read HR2, the Secure the Border Act passed May 2023 with full Rep support and no Dem support nor the “bipartisan” Senate bill (if it was bipartisan, it should have passed?) which codifies the Biden open borders. When comparing the House solution to the Dem led Senate (who never voted on HR2): Catch and Release, Mass Release, and Mass Parole — HR2 ended, Senate codified
Border Wall — HR2 mandated, Senate no
Senate bill offered $2.3B to NGIs to facilitate more illegal immigration.
Senate bill provided (thoughts Scott?) $20.23B to process more illegal immigrants and over $60B to Ukraine and $14B to Israel.
The Senate bill was really an Ukraine funding bill which also codified illegal immigration making it harder for future Presidents to reinstate the Trump policies and actually enforce our borders.
Bad take, Scott. Please read the bill details.
And shouldn’t sanctuary cities open their doors to illegal immigrants? Such hypocrisy (see Martha’s Vineyard) NIMBY
The right wing talking heads that filled your skull cavity with shit did a great job.
Bless your heart, trump trash
“LOL Republicans” you sound like one of those annoying barking chihuahuas going into reviewers intelligent rebuttals and spewing your hatred against those with opposing views. You, my friend, need help. Please go in the rebuttals and refute some of the ideas expressed and be intelligent about it if you can, otherwise you are the trash you call others.
What part of my statement did I get wrong? I await your reply.
Typical liberal rebuttal — condemn facts and personally attack the messenger.
This post is comically out of touch.
Sure, it has some truth in it.
But this is a democracy. Folks who aren’t coastal elites, who _already live here_ – they have a say, too, you know.
Yeah, there are lots of great, hard-working immigrants who will work for cheap to escape whichever socialism come hell country they’re from.
Yeah, there are lots of lazy, not-smart Americans who want a lot of money, and (shudder) might be in a union.
Rich guy’s like Scott’s pals don’t like the fair-pay/union part.
So they’re trying to import folks to work.
Because now that software is exhausted, and we actually have to start making things again, BigTech actually has to deal with labor. (shudder).
You can’t hand-wave, fake culture issue away this simple problem:
The people who already live here get a say.
Because we’re a democracy.
Oh yeah, one more point.
Does ProfG like AI?
Oh yeah!
Know why?
See above re: tech hates labor
Prof G could be replaced with AI. Laborers can’t.
This comment is comically out of touch.
No, it has no truth to it.
Fact free, pure right wing brainrot.
Sad display!
Different century, same story. Just watch Gangs of New York. There’s always someone new who wants to come to this country. The people that do so have initiative, drive, optimism. That’s the lifeblood and the ethos of this country. They speak different and look different, but in one generation, their kids will be watching the NFL, making tiktoks and buttchugging vodka just like “Real Americans”. We’re one of the only countries that can accept millions of immigrants almost seamlessly. Let’s let everyone in who wants to be here and they will make America better.
The debate is about illegal immigration, not immigration in general.
pretty sure when Leo di caprio got off the boat from Ireland he didn’t go thru INS.
Glad to see me pointing out Scott’s fundamental hypocrisy about being pro-illegal immigration and being pro-disadvantaged young men stung enough to make him write this response.
Like Kamala Harris, Scott still talks around the issue. The Economist had an article which pointed out the life time value of an illegal immigrant is -$600K while the lifetime value of a legal immigrant is +$1.2 million. Scott like his fellow dishonest liberals try to talk around it by mixing the two to arrive at a positive aggregate number.
Reality is the two compete in very different job markets. The legal immigrants are much better educated and compete in the higher skill brackets; not the first rung of the ladder that many young American men need to grasp to launch in life. The illegals are barely literate and compete against the barely literate young American men.
Under the Biden Administration, we have 5.5 million illegal entries per Scott’s own table above. We also have 6 million American citizen men who aren’t participating in the workforce. That these two numbers are so close is no coincidence. The illegals took the job, at a lower pay rate, of the American men who dropped out of the workforce. Now factor in how much they are costing us in terms of government benefits and you see the very high cost of illegal immigration.
Scott made his points. No doubt about it. I moved to the US legally in 2003 and I sensed this already. I believe congress understands this pretty well. But it’s good to educate normal people the real situation. Also, it means the US education system and the society have huge problems. Why normal US people don’t do these jobs??? I hope Scott can write more articles about that.
What I feel sad is that Scott pointed to GOP for allowing illegals into the US or at least hinted (I guess Scott will say I’m lying about his point by something called “fact check”). Well, everybody knows illegals flood to the US when Obama and Biden are presidents. That’s the fact. Everything else is politics.
Everything from start to finish in this article is remarkably unserious, partisan, and quite honestly incorrect.
If you actually wanted to reduce wealth inequality, stemming migration would be the most effective and immediate way to do it. Setting aside the inherent social dissonance that comes from an ever increasingly ethnically and culturally society, migrants, especially ones coming here illegally are gunning for u skilled work. You reduce the supply of labor, and the cost of labor goes up, in other words management has to pay blue collar workers more.
There’s plenty to say about Trump, but he actually tried to do this – albeit with a wall.
You also make the claim that republicans overwhelmingly represent the top 1% – I would argue the modern democrat party is far more representative of the most wealthy… how? just look at political donations by industry. Wealthy tech elites and Wall Street overwhelmingly donate to the democrat party. So yeah, all this supposed looking out for the little guy is utter bullshit.
“A knee-jerk reaction taken from the fascist handbook…”
Dude, stop. If you find yourself throwing that word around, you’re the one who is unserious.
Alright I could go on here, clearly Scott is just another white affluent liberal infected with TDS. Disappointing, because if he could overcome that there are some brief glimpses of actually valuable insight.
God bless your heart, you clueless talking point addled mark.
LOL Republicans has no self awareness about how much they project and smear with no substance.
We must be getting close to the election; prof galloway is moving away from his top-notch economic insights towards political nonsense.
Your guy is going to lose and go to prison LOL
Here is my comment:
Galloway for President
(or at least a cabinet post)!
We should have diverted these buses with immigrants to Wyoming and Montana where they need people. And North Dakota.
This article tries too hard. On the one hand a person close and dear to me – won’t name – has struggled to get immigrant workers who have worked hard and paid into Social Security in a position where they can collect their due. On the other hand borders and immigration have posed a problem for more than two thousand years with Rome actually the most liberal, especially for those who accepted Roman culture and served in its armed forces. A lifelong Republican I would be good with that. On the other hand a country can’t just have a wide open border. Can you imagine a country in Europe which would accept that? There should also be an expanded visa process accepting those who match American needs above all others. officer at Goldman Sachs and had studied and worked with top quantum physicists. Many border crossers with no skills need about 48 hours. Some of course find open jobs at the bottom of the labor market and some do great entrepreneurial things but we need to make an effort to screen them in. It will get to be a larger problem when the party of AMLO consolidates its total power to create a problem for the US larger than the drug gangs. Mitt Romney has refused to endorse Harris, saying that he despises Trump but has a major problem with Biden policies and plans (which will be added to by Harris). It’s the dilemma of former Republicans.
This article tries too hard. On the one hand a person close and dear to me – won’t name – has struggled to get immigrant workers who have worked hard and paid into Social Security in a position where they can collect their due. On the other hand borders and immigration have posed a problem for more than two thousand years with Rome actually the most liberal, especially for those who accepted Roman culture and served in its armed forces. A lifelong Republican I would be good with that. On the other hand a country can’t just have a wide open border. Can you imagine a country in Europe which would accept that? There should also be an expanded visa process accepting those who match American needs above all others. A relative from a middle eastern country waited almost 20 years for a citizenship process although he was the chief tech officer at Goldman Sachs and had studied and worked with top quantum physicists. Many border crossers with no skills need about 48 hours. Some of course find open jobs at the bottom of the labor market and some do great entrepreneurial things but we need to make an effort to screen them in. It will get to be a larger problem when the party of AMLO consolidates its total power to create a problem for the US larger than the drug gangs. Mitt Romney has refused to endorse Harris, saying that he despises Trump but has a major problem with Biden policies and plans (which will be added to by Harris). It’s the dilemma of former Republicans.
“Voters prefer mendacious and strong vs. well-meaning and weak”. Your bias is extreme, mendacious weakling.
cope and seethe, little trumpie
I’ll never vote for trump, punk.
Agent Orange claims that “ilegal immigrants are poisoning the blood of our country” but fails to acknowledge that Melania entered the U.S. and did not leave when her visa expired, thus she was an ilegal immigrant. Will she be deported if he gets elected?
When he decides to trade her in for a younger model, yes that would be an easy cover.
Given how those two look together, I am sure Trump would be thrilled to have her deported
I think the other thing Scott misses about anger over immigration is that many of those immigrants are poor and the US middle class hates poor people. We’ve having epic fights here in California over allowing more low income housing because no one wants affordable housing complexes near their single family neighborhoods. They are blaming immigration for the fact that we need more affordable housing, while completely ignoring the Airbnb elephant in the room. You can’t pull millions of housing units off the rental and sales market turn them into short term rentals with creating a housing crunch. But the middle class loves staying Airbnb’s, so they blame immigration.
Middle class America, like most of America, appreciate property rights. The right to make a choice on where and how they live, and save the money to make it happen. Nothing like saving your money to live in a single family home neighborhood, only for the state/whoever to decide that not only should there be multi family housing plopped right into the middle of it, only to annihilate the property values of the surrounding neighborhood. Towns have been destroyed with this kind of social engineering.
Thank you for your post, You are right on point regarding the immigration issue.
Now with the comment “The GOP primarily represents the wealthiest 1% of Americans and corporations, yet manages to get about 47% of the vote” I so agree and often wonder what does it say about that 47%, why is it that they vote against those that benefits them more. What does it say about them.
TDS anyone. Or woke mind virus. Or both?
Absolutely, Scott!!
I always called US immigration policy….the “U.S.’s Dirty Little Secret”. Las Vegas would cease to exist without undocumented workers!!
This is the dirty little secret of the illegal immigration “problem.” I actually just wrote that (in 20 words without charts) to Kamala Harris showing a brief blurb from Fox TV with a republican senator saying the problem is the republicans not the democrats. In fact, both parties have been kicking the can down the road for at least 30 years.
The only first solution is to get the big money out of politics. Then we can even start the conversation.
Scott,
You use some unique logic in this post, for instance “illegals commit more crimes” line, 100% of illegal immigrates have committed a crime by crossing the border improperly. Also I’m doubting the 1% figure, since Bezos, Zuckerberg, Ellison, Balmer, Gates just in my neighborhood are all Dems and 99% of tech companies lean D. You’ll bring up the “eat pet” which was resident testimonial as a source but gloss over 350,000 missing minors who crossed the border and are involved in the sex trade or breaking child labor laws.
I just wanted to point out that Trump built a wall on the border and got Mexico to pay for it. Hmmm, Mexico did pay for it, right?
INB4 the trump trash. God bless your hearts you stupid marks.