The Quote Below — More Misinformation from the Media
In Washington, President Trump sees the [coronavirus] crisis as another opportunity to reduce immigration, starting with a 60-day ban on new green cards. . . .
Trump is using the . . . crisis to exploit the anti-immigrant views that propelled his election four years ago. Ominously, a current University of Maryland poll showed strong support across the board — even 49 percent among Democrats — for his “temporary” immigration restrictions.
But there is no logic in barring green cards to permanent immigrants while continuing to allow guest worker visas for farm laborers, high-tech workers and others in demand among American industries. . . .
It’s noteworthy that Trump did not try to couch his latest assault on immigration in terms of pandemic protection, but jobs. But as he ignored repeated warnings about the virus’s spread, so, too, has the president ignored abundant evidence that immigrants, including refugees, have been a source of great strength for our country in every possible respect. . . .
Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell wrote this week that “more than half of the most highly valued tech companies in the United States were founded by immigrants.”
The Center for American Progress reported this week that an estimated 131,000 persons in Temporary Protected Status, from El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti are filling jobs in such critical occupations as working in hospitals and nursing homes, growing food and stocking groceries. The third greatest number, behind only California and Texas, are some 17,900 in Florida. – In a Time of Crisis, President Trump again Flogs Immigration, Editorial Board, South Florida Sun Sentinel, 5/1/20 [Link]
Fact Check of Quote Above: This editorial thinks it’s “ominous” that the idea of restricting immigration, right now, has “broad support.” A much more accurate word than ominous would be obvious. With a world-wide pandemic going on, it’s obvious that we need to limit migration to prevent entry of more infected people. It is also obvious that the lock-down measures to fight the virus are having very negative effects on our economy, and these effects are likely to persist for a long time after the pandemic subsides.
Currently, more than 30 million Americans are out of work. In this situation, it is absurd to speak of how we need to bring in foreign workers, or keep many of the ones already here, to meet an alleged labor shortage. The writers of this editorial don’t seem to have noticed the urgent concern of their fellow citizens about employment—perhaps because they feel that their employment as media elites is secure. Journalism, a field demanding excellent English-language skills, is relatively unthreatened by competition from immigrants.
So protected, these editorialists can entertain the feel-good fantasy that all immigrants, regardless of their numbers, are beneficial to our country “in every possible respect.” In this fantasy world, there is no need to worry about such details as declining national unity, wage suppression, stress on infrastructure and resources, and environmental degradation.
To sustain their illusions, immigration enthusiasts typically repeat mind-numbing mantras such as “nation of immigrants” and “diversity is our strength.” They also cite various nonfactual claims as facts, such as the assertion in this editorial that immigrants founded half of our tech companies. The trick here is that many of these companies have more than one founder. If just one of them is an immigrant, it’s counted as an immigrant-founded company.
Despite its failings, this editorial does make a good point in asking why President Trump is just limiting green card immigration, while leaving our door wide-open to visa holders. Perhaps the president will reconsider. The plight of jobless Americans should persuade him.