The U.S. is "starved for more workers," and that can drive up costs to consumers, Courtenay Brown of Axios reports.
Congressional Budget Office projections indicate that by 2040, all U.S. population growth will be from immigration. As older Americans leave the workforce and fertility rates have dropped, immigration will be crucial in keeping the economy afloat. (We mentioned it Friday, but read our update to "Room to Grow," a report we first published in 2021.)
"America needs workers," Stuart Anderson states simply in an op-ed for The Hill. The Biden administration is reportedly considering sweeping tactics to slow migration but instead should consider focusing on more legal pathways, he argues, noting that such paths reduce unauthorized migration.
And in Forbes, Andrew Tisch writes of immigrants’ contributions that include and go beyond the economic. "We do have to secure our borders," he writes. "But we mustn’t lose sight of the competitive advantage that comes from the world’s smartest and most entrepreneurial people wanting to come here."
Already, localities without enough workers are feeling the strain. Natalie Wallington of The Kansas City Star explains work authorization processes for migrants after the city’s mayor said new arrivals could help meet labor needs. And in Massachusetts, local businesses are facing labor pressure as many international students are being denied J-1 visas, reports Mike Sullivan of WBZ News.
Welcome to Monday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Dan Gordon, the Forum’s strategic communications VP, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Jillian Clark, Ally Villarreal and Clara Villatoro. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected].
MEXICO’S BUSES — Spring and summer usually see increases in migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border, but March and at least early April this year were an exception. A likely reason: actions Mexico is taking earlier in migrants’ journeys, reports Lauren Villagran of USA Today. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration has enhanced a busing program that transports migrants to southern Mexico. "The Mexican government
is busing people in circles," said Andrew Selee, executive director of the Migration Policy Institute.
OKLAHOMA BILL — Several faith leaders are asking Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) to veto a bill that would allow state law enforcement to arrest undocumented migrants, reports Carla Hinton of The Oklahoman. Immigration challenges are real, the Rev. Tim Luschen said, "but this is an issue that needs to be addressed on the federal level." Meanwhile, in an editorial opposing the
bill, the Tulsa World editorial board highlights public safety concerns it raises.
FLORIDA LAW — Having enjoyed the Florida Strawberry Festival in the past, it saddens me to read of fruit rotting on the ground. That’s the reality a year after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed anti-immigration legislation into law, reports Jasmine Garsd of NPR. "A lot of people went north and never came back," said farm owner Fidel Sanchez, and that leaves farms and other businesses struggling. "The government doesn't seem to care," he
added. "Maybe they think the crops are gonna pick themselves."
TO PROTECT CHILDREN — Immigration advocates say that while the atmosphere for children in immigration court is improving, more should be done, reports Anna-Catherine Brigida of Houston Landing. New guidance from a December government memo has helped, but advocates want Congress to codify the changes. "We really need to ensure that regardless of what the administration or the policy looks like, kids are still being protected," said Carolina Rodriguez-Neufeld, managing director of the Houston office of Kids in Need of Defense.
