Trump Warns Minority Voters Of Migrant Job Competition Amid Economic Concerns
Former President Donald Trump is leveraging concerns about illegal immigration to appeal to Black and Hispanic voters, asserting that the influx of immigrants is harming job prospects for these communities. This strategy is part of his broader campaign to challenge President Joe Biden’s handling of the border crisis.
During a recent campaign stop in Detroit, Trump highlighted the impact of illegal immigration on minority employment. “The people coming across the border — all those millions of people — they’re inflicting tremendous harm to our Black population and to our Hispanic population,” Trump said.
Democrats dismiss Trump’s claims, citing a robust economy with an unemployment rate of 4% in May as evidence that his arguments are unfounded. They argue that the overall economic conditions contradict Trump’s assertions.
Steven A. Camarota from the Center for Immigration Studies supports Trump’s view, suggesting that new foreign workers, particularly those with less education, compete directly with lower-skilled American workers. “The immigrants are the big beneficiaries, but the losers tend to be Americans at the bottom end of the labor market, and African Americans are disproportionately at the bottom end,” Camarota explained.
A House Budget Committee report shows that immigrants, both legal and illegal, have filled half of the jobs created since October. This aligns with trends since 2019, where the number of foreign-born workers increased by 3 million compared to a 1 million increase in native-born workers.
Trump is confident that this immigration-jobs narrative will help him gain support from Black and Hispanic voters. In the 2020 election, Biden secured 87% of the Black vote compared to Trump’s 12%, an improvement for Trump from 2016. However, Biden’s slipping support among Black voters in recent polls is concerning for Democrats.
Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) refuted Trump’s claims, pointing to the expansion of Black-owned businesses, low Black unemployment, and wage growth among lower-income workers as proof of Biden’s effective policies. “Claims that immigration hurts native-born workers is a scapegoating lie,” Moore stated, emphasizing that immigrants contribute positively to the economy and alleviate workforce shortages.
Biden’s supporters argue that immigration has been beneficial for the U.S. economy, citing a Congressional Budget Office report that projected a nearly $9 trillion increase in GDP over the next decade due to the addition of 2.4 million new immigrants in 2023, with a similar number expected this year.
The ongoing debate over immigration policy and its impact on the economy continues to be a focal point in the lead-up to the 2024 election, with both sides presenting contrasting views on the benefits and challenges posed by new arrivals.
