On New Year’s Eve, a prominent nativist surprisingly announced that Americans are in favor of increased immigration.
President-elect Donald Trump declared at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, “We’re seeking capable individuals, prudent minds who can contribute to the growth and prosperity of our great nation.” He emphasized, “We welcome many more people from diverse backgrounds to join our community.”
As though Trump had unwittingly summoned the phantoms of Christmases past, present, and yet to come, their eerie whispers seeping into his consciousness like a chill on a winter’s night. It was actually online white nationalists who precipitated a significant rhetorical pivot in the president-elect’s stance on immigration.
On December 22, Donald Trump named Sriram Krishnan as his senior adviser on synthetic intelligence. Here is the rewritten text in a professional style:
Laura Loomer, a controversial figure with ties to the Trump administration, was selected by Krishnan, an Indian-American investor, following her recent advocacy for increased expertise-based immigration. According to Loomer’s account, Krishnan allegedly wants to allow international university students to enter the US and fill job openings typically reserved for domestic STEM graduates.
The debate surrounding high-skilled immigration flared up once more, with the H-1B visa program garnering intense scrutiny due to its provision of temporary authorized status for highly educated immigrant workers employed by U.S. corporations. The tech pioneers, spearheaded by the CEO, were adamant that opening up Silicon Valley’s gates to top-tier global talent was essential for America’s national interest, much to the dismay of figures like Loomer, and other hardline Trump allies.
As the debate raged on, each faction gravitated towards the most unflattering and unconvincing arguments to support their own viewpoints, resulting in a cacophony of flawed logic and emotional manipulation. The ongoing debate about the H-1B visa program has sparked concerns that it may inadvertently diminish job opportunities for domestically educated and trained technology professionals? Despite his popularity, Loomer is infamous for espousing xenophobic views, which manifest in claims that a particular system allows “third-world invaders from India” to usurp the “American dream” from “white Europeans.”
Vivek Ramaswamy, self-proclaimed “populist”, unexpectedly found common ground with US tech corporations by defending high-skill immigration, citing their desire for access to foreign talent due to a shortage of qualified American workers.
While portraying many of his fellow South Africans as uncivilized and lazy, Musk and his company voiced some admirable statements. The Tesla CEO posted that “Any individual – regardless of race, creed or nationality – who has worked tirelessly to contribute to this nation will always command my respect,” and his notion that “We should vastly improve legal immigration for anyone who is hardworking, sincere and loves America.” Musk further implied that opponents of such immigration effectively “want America to fail for their own personal gain.” Trump went on to express solidarity with Musk’s viewpoint in both written and oral remarks.
While Trump and Musk may have differing views on many issues, they share a common understanding that expanding legal immigration can be beneficial for the United States. Their understanding of desirable immigration is unduly narrow.
While each side has advocated for a unique approach to immigration, one argument suggests that America seeks highly skilled and exceptionally talented individuals, whereas others propose admitting more moderately educated and lower-income migrants, along with those who. A comprehensive immigration policy that genuinely prioritizes American interests would also facilitate the entry of more skilled workers, not just low-skilled laborers.
For one factor, it’s likely that the most technically and entrepreneurially gifted immigrants are often not readily established before they’ve arrived in the US: Throughout American history, immigrant families have tended to outperform native-born ones, with the children of low-income migrants frequently ascending to high-skilled positions. A handful of individuals, like WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum, rose to prominence from relatively modest beginnings.
While the United States faces an aging population crisis, it is crucially important that the country welcomes an increasing number of immigrants in order to stave off demographic decline and mitigate its attendant economic challenges. To bolster the US workforce, America must attract prime-age individuals not only to develop software or hone AI skills but also to tend to its elderly, build its homes, cultivate its crops, and perform other essential yet unglamorous tasks that are vital to its functioning.
To foster long-term prosperity among present-day Americans, Trump would do well to widen his aperture and welcome individuals from diverse backgrounds and skill sets, creating a comprehensive gateway for innovation and growth.
The U.S. population is aging, but there’s a growing need for more individuals to boost the workforce and contribute to economic growth.
The US is getting outdated. Between 2010 and 2020, there has been a notable increase in the population of people aged 65 years or older. Accordingly, for the first time in history, seniors accounted for a record-high percentage of the United States’ population in 2022.
The country is confronted with substantial, far-reaching concerns that will have a lasting impact. Older populations typically necessitate additional healthcare resources. As the proportion of retirees to working-age individuals continues to escalate, the US economy will face significant challenges in providing adequate healthcare: With a shrinking workforce, it may be more difficult for the system to effectively allocate resources and deliver necessary medical care.
As the proportion of individuals receiving Social Security benefits grows while the number of contributors decreases, it will become increasingly challenging for the nation’s seniors.
By the end of this century, if current demographic trends continue unchecked, the world’s population is likely to decline due to a significant surplus of deaths over births. And population declines are inherently linked to reduced financial growth and investment opportunities.
Many countries are grappling with similar demographic challenges alongside America. Despite efforts by several nations to boost their population growth rates through generous social welfare programs, these initiatives have had limited success. While a single factor, such as immigration, may provide some respite to population decline by introducing new residents and injecting fresh demographic vitality into an area. The United States’ future prosperity is significantly dependent on its ability to attract and retain a sufficient number of prime-age workers.
According to the Census Bureau’s data, this reality is plain. Researchers at the company analyzed various immigration policy scenarios and their potential impacts on the US population over the next few decades. If the US were to cease all immigration, its population would likely be 32.2% smaller by 2100 compared to 2022. In scenarios where population growth is driven by excessive immigration, the resident population could potentially increase by as much as 30.6 percent.
Immigration has had a profound impact on reshaping America’s demographic landscape in line with the bureau’s projections. By 2100, more than 35% of the population could be aged 65 or older without immigration, while in a high-immigration scenario, this figure drops to approximately 27.4%.
Despite the proximity in time, varying immigration rates could have a profound impact on the nation’s demographic health. Without immigration, America’s prime-age labor force participation rate would decline by approximately 5% between 2022 and 2035. As immigration levels surge excessively, labour demand would swell by approximately 5 percent within this timeframe.
Because of this, America seeks to attract more skilled workers during the prime years of their careers? The United States is unlikely to fully satiate its economy’s appetite for skilled young workers by relying solely on importing talented foreign engineers.
In reality, the US seeks a significant influx of workers with lesser-qualified skills. Many Americans are impacted by job opportunities that typically demand only a high school diploma, such as residential healthcare aides and pharmacy technicians. By 2040, a shortage of approximately 355,000 direct care workers is projected, according to the Niskanen Center’s analysis, as the nation prepares to face a demand that exceeds its available workforce. Immigrants are disproportionately represented among those willing to take on the often-underappreciated tasks required by residency care, a phenomenon underscored by stark statistics: while foreign-born individuals account for approximately 14% of the overall population, they comprise a significant proportion of the healthcare workforce, comprising roughly 40% of health aides, as reported by the American Immigration Council.
Immigrants play a vital role in addressing demographic disparities and societal gaps.
The potential exists for a large influx of foreign-born workers to rapidly erode the collective bargaining power of native-born employees in certain industries by creating an oversupply of labor. Despite being immersed within a complex mixture, research revealed that immigration does not negatively impact native-born employees in the short term. In the long run, as immigration continues to grow, it becomes crucial for sustaining America’s economic development, ultimately leading to enhanced wage benefits and advantages for native-born workers.
As global fertility rates continue their downward trend almost everywhere, relying solely on immigration as a solution to demographic decline is unsustainable. As long as America can continue to delay the inevitable decline of its population growth, the more technologically advanced it will remain when it ultimately faces this challenge. It’s likely that managing a rapidly declining prime-age workforce will be substantially easier in a world where superintelligent AI and low-cost, highly skilled robots are prevalent compared to our current reality.
As we navigate the complexities of our globalized world, it’s essential to recognize that America’s interests are best served by its own leaders, rather than relying solely on Donald Trump.
Trump’s foray into cosmopolitanism during his vacation season raises questions about potential media coverage implications. If the president-elect prioritizes his policy proposals where Elon Musk’s interests align with his own, the outcome could be nothing more significant than modest adjustments to H-1B visa regulations. It appears that the newly inaugurated government has demonstrated a disproportionately strong affinity for addressing the demands of Silicon Valley’s elite rather than those of the broader American economy.
Individuals genuinely invested in ensuring America’s sustained prosperity must recognize the existence of two intriguing types of immigrants: While some right-wing populists may claim otherwise, having a university degree is not essential for performing crucial work.
