Immigration

IMMIGRATION

One of the candidates in the 2024 presidential election is constantly referring to immigration, especially of the undocumented, as a scourge. It is time for a few facts on this subject. “In 2023, foreign-born workers, including the undocumented, accounted for 18.6 per cent, or 29.1 million, of the US labor force.” An estimated 8.3 million undocumented migrants worked in the US economy, 5.2 % of the workforce. 1.5 million work in construction, 1 million in restaurants, 320,000 in agriculture (over 25% of the workforce), 300,000 in landscaping, 200,000 in food processing and manufacturing. 15.6% of nurses and 28% of healthcare aides are migrants. The migrants come from Mexico (30%), Central and South America (20%), Central and East Asia (15%). Without migrants there would be labor shortages and inflation. Government budgets would be reduced without the taxes paid by undocumented workers and without their contributions to Social Security and Medicare.

An example of the US dependence on migrants is the case of dairy workers in Idaho. Adjusted for inflation, the farm value of milk has been dropping since the 1970s, while expenses have doubled or tripled. To have hopes of breaking even, the farmer must hire migrant labor. The workday is 11 to 12 hours. Working conditions are wretched: workers slog along all day in mud, cow urine and feces. Working as a milker on a dairy farm is definitely a “3-D” job: dirty, dangerous and demanding.

US-born workers will not do it. The only solution is migrant labor or doubling or tripling the store cost of milk. How would the electorate like this latter possibility?

So, when a presidential candidate suggests mass deportation of migrants, think of the consequences.

Source: The Center for Migration Studies, 9/2/24 and The New York Times,10/20/24