Amidst mounting pressure to curb illegal immigration, President Biden’s latest executive order aims to pause new asylum requests at the southern border if the daily average exceeds 2,500 over a week. However, experts have pointed out that his administration has been relying on the labor of foreign-born workers, both legal and illegal, to boost the US economy and mask its true state.
Biden’s order comes amidst a massive surge of arrivals, in which foreign-born workers have fueled economic and job market growth, with employment figures now surpassing pre-pandemic levels. The foreign-born population in the US has increased by 6.6 million since Biden took office, with 58% attributed to illegal immigration.
While critics argue that foreign-born workers mask the real state of the US economy and contribute to the discrepancy between public perception and economic data, proponents suggest that legal immigration has been a “tremendous asset to America” by attracting the best talent from around the world and stimulating productivity, wages, wealth, income, and life expectancy.
The debate over immigration’s impact on the US economy continues, but one thing is clear: the United States relies heavily on foreign-born labor. Will President Biden’s new immigration policies create the change he seeks, or will they ultimately fail to address the root causes of the nation’s economic challenges? Time will tell, but for now, all eyes are on the southern border, and America’s course of action will determine not only its economic future, but also its role as a global leader in upholding human rights and promoting social justice.
