The chapter delves into the complexities and economic implications of immigration, discussing the current situation at the US southern border with a focus on the surge in migrants, including families and children. It explores the costs incurred by states, the economic contributions of immigrants, debates on federal reimbursement for states, and the impacts on native workers' wages due to increased immigration.
The U.S. immigration system is a massively complicated machine, with a lot of worn-out parts. How to fix it? Step one: Get hold of some actual facts and evidence. (We did this step for you.) (Part two of a three-part series.)
- RESOURCES:
- The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers, by Zeke Hernandez (2024, available for pre-order).
- "Illegal Immigration Is a Bigger Problem Than Ever. These Five Charts Explain Why," by Andrew Mollica, Alicia A. Caldwell, Michelle Hackman, and Santiago Pérez (The Wall Street Journal, 2023).
- Ours Was the Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream, by David Leonhardt (2023).
- The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration, by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2017).