Economists are expressing concern over the increasing number of illegal immigrants in the United States, who they believe are obscuring the actual condition of the jobs market and the U.S. economy.
A closer look at the household survey of the employment report shows that employment for native-born Americans has been in decline over the past four years. This means that all of the job gains have gone to foreign-born workers.
A group of illegal immigrants receives food in Chicago, Ill., on Jan. 12, 2024. Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of immigrants—legal and illegal—working in the United States grew by 3.4 million between February 2020, shortly before the onset of COVID-19, and March 2024. The number of U.S.-born workers, however, declined by 78,000 during the same period.
In addition, during the Biden administration, there have been approximately twice as many illegal immigrants as legal immigrants entering the country, according to a study by the Brookings Institution.
“That’s a big problem,” says economist Stephen Moore.
“What we’re interested in is how the economy is working for American citizens. So, we’re distorting the jobs market with all of the illegal immigrants,” he said.
According to Steven Camarota, director of research for the Center for Immigration Studies, the rise in illegal employment conceals the true state of the U.S. jobs market. There has been a concerning decline in the labor force participation of U.S.-born working-age men from the 1960s to the present.
He argued that the government is missing the overall picture by focusing on headline data and reporting strong job growth, and not saying it’s fueled primarily by low-wage illegal immigrants.
“That’s very troubling,” he said.
According to EJ Antoni, an economist and research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, one of the key reasons President Joe Biden is polling so poorly among voters is “because they are not the ones getting the jobs.”
As a result of the flood of cheap labor, American workers also earn less than they would otherwise, he said.
The high level of immigration has also contributed to the surprising strength in consumer spending and overall economic growth since 2022, according to the Brookings study.
However, a larger economy does not necessarily imply a better economy and more wealth for the existing population, Camarota argued.
Illegal immigration tends to lower wages and economic productivity in the short run, according to economists.
Should the current influx of illegal immigration persist, economists may demand greater transparency from the government regarding the number of illegal immigrants entering the workforce.
—Emel Akan
The dome of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on March 22, 2024. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
CONGRESS' TO-DO
Members of Congress will return to the nation’s capital city this week with a hefty to-do list.
For the past two weeks, lawmakers have been in their home districts enjoying the two-week Easter Recess. Prior to the recess, a $1.2 trillion government funding bill was rammed through Congress, putting an end to a months-long saga of puntings and delays.
But they left Capitol Hill with many other legislative priorities unfulfilled—and some of those priorities will need to be addressed as soon as this week.
First up, and highest profile, is the impeachment trial of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas following the delivery of the House articles of impeachment to the Senate on Wednesday.
While this could result in a full trial before the U.S. Senate, all indications are that the trial won’t happen. Instead, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is expected to kill the resolution in its cradle by putting forward a motion to table it or referring it to the committee. These only need a simple majority to pass.
At that point, the only hope for the resolution would be that red-state Democratic Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), facing tough reelection bids this November, defect. However, that’s unlikely.
Also up for consideration is some form of supplemental support to Ukraine, which has stalled in Congress for months due to growing GOP criticisms.
Many Republicans oppose Ukraine funding altogether, while others have suggested support for aid in the form of a loan, as proposed by former President Donald Trump. While no information has been released publicly on the expected aid bill, many predict that this legislation will be a loan.
Bringing any such legislation to the floor would be a risky move for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who comes back to Capitol Hill this week with the threat of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) motion to vacate hanging over him.
Such a move could force Johnson out of the speaker’s chair. Despite limited appetite for the move among Republicans, Greene could force a vote on the motion at any time, which could throw Congress into another bout of paralysis like that experienced following the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
Also on Congress’s agenda is the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a controversial spying authority.
The bill to be voted on, introduced by Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Fla.), has the backing of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio), but could grate against some civil liberty hawks who may feel the reforms don’t go far enough.
Lawmakers will also hear from Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in a joint session of Congress on Thursday, a speech which comes at a time of rising tensions with the Chinese Communist Party.
Additionally, though no such plans have been discussed publicly, also on Congress’s radar is a supplemental package to help finance the rebuilding of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
—Joseph Lord
BOOKMARKS
China’s influence in and over the lives of Africa’s 1.5 billion people is now so broad that it extends into almost all aspects of African societies, according to an article by The Epoch Times’ Darren Taylor. The article explores how China has gained a stranglehold over the continent, including economies, militaries, and resources.
The World Health Organization is turning up the pressure on nations around the world to sign its proposed pandemic treaty, The Epoch Times’ Kevin Stocklin reports. The treaty has faced mounting criticism for the breadth of its provisions, which critics say threaten the sovereignty of member nations.
During a Saturday fundraiser in Palm Beach, Florida, President Trump brought in a record-shattering $50.5 million for his 2024 war chest, The Epoch Times’ Melanie Sun and Janice Hisle reported. That figure nearly doubles the earlier $26 million record set by President Joe Biden during a fundraiser with former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
With new leadership at the helm, the Republican National Committee is turning its focus to ensuring election integrity in 2024, The Epoch Times’ Joseph Lord reported. These measures include 80 lawsuits across 24 states to ensure fair election rules, hiring new poll workers and thousands of poll watchers, and gathering an army of pro-Trump attorneys willing to help adjudicate election disputes.
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan defended his conservative credentials against allegations of being a “RINO,” The Epoch Times’ Joseph Lord reported. The former governor spoke to The Epoch Times during a stop on his cross-state bus tour as part of his Senate bid, for which he’s polling remarkably well in the deep blue state.
