0:00 About a third of the construction
0:01 workforce in this country is Hispanic.
0:03 Of those, a large portion are
0:05 undocumented. So, how do you propose to
0:07 build all the housing necessary that we
0:09 need in this country by removing all the
0:12 people who are working in construction?
0:14 Well, I think it's a fair question
0:15 because we know that back in the 1960s
0:18 when we had very low levels of illegal
0:19 immigration, Americans didn't buy
0:21 houses, didn't build houses, but but of
0:24 course they did. And I'm being
0:25 sarcastic, of course, in service of a
0:27 point, Lulu. The assumption that
0:30 because a large number of homebuilders
0:33 now are using undocumented labor, that
0:35 that's the only way to build homes. I
0:37 think again, the country is much bigger.
0:40 The need is much bigger. I mean, I'm not
0:41 arguing in favor of illegal immigration.
0:43 I'm asking how you would deal with the
0:45 knock-on effect of your proposal to
0:47 remove millions of people who work in a
0:49 critical part part of the economy. Well,
0:51 I think that what you would do is you
0:53 would take, let's say, for example, the
0:54 7 million prime age men who have dropped
0:57 out of the labor force, and you have a
0:58 smaller number of women, but still
1:00 millions of women prime age who have
1:02 dropped out of the labor force,
1:04 absolutely could re-engage folks into
1:07 the American labor market. This is, I
1:10 think, the left's obsession with open
1:12 borders is not about compassion for
1:14 immigrants. It's a moral masquerade that
1:18 sacrifices the economic well-being of
1:20 America's most vulnerable workers,
1:23 particularly black and Hispanic
1:24 Americans, on the altar of political
1:27 expediency. For decades, we've been told
1:30 that mass low-skill immigration is a
1:32 humanitarian necessity, that Americans
1:35 won't do those jobs, and that we must
1:38 fling wide the gates to build a more
1:41 inclusive society. Yet the cold, hard
1:44 facts tell a different story. These
1:46 policies depress wages, erode labor
1:49 force participation and entrench
1:51 economic inequality, most acutely for
1:53 those the left claims to champion.
1:56 Today, we'll dissect this hypocrisy not
1:58 with feelings or slogans, but with
2:00 logic, history, and evidence. Policies
2:03 must be judged by their consequences,
2:05 not their intentions. And the
2:07 consequences of the left's immigration
2:09 stance are nothing short of catastrophic
2:12 for the American working class. Let's
2:14 begin with basic economics. Supply and
2:16 demand. When you flood a labor market
2:18 with low-skilled workers, you increase
2:21 the supply of labor which drives down
2:24 wages. This is not a theory. It's a fact
2:27 as predictable as gravity. In industries
2:29 like construction, agriculture, and
2:31 hospitality, where low-skll immigrant
2:34 labor, much of it undocumented, has
2:37 become a mainstate, wages have stagnated
2:40 or declined in real terms. Data from the
2:42 Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that
2:44 real wages for construction workers
2:46 adjusted for inflation have barely
2:49 budged since the 1970s, despite rising
2:52 productivity. Why? Because employers can
2:55 hire from an ever growing pool of
2:57 workers willing to accept lower pay,
3:00 often under the table, without benefits
3:03 or
3:04 protections. Consider this. About a
3:07 third of the construction workforce in
3:09 the United States is Hispanic, many of
3:12 them undocumented. As noted in recent
3:15 discussions on labor markets, this isn't
3:17 a coincidence. Businesses driven by
3:19 profit motives exploit this labor pool
3:22 to keep costs down. But who pays the
3:25 price? The nativeborn worker, black,
3:29 Hispanic, or otherwise, who finds his
3:32 bargaining power eroded. In the 1960s,
3:36 black workers were a significant
3:38 presence in construction trades, often
3:40 unionized, earning wages that supported
3:43 families and built communities. Today,
3:46 their share has dwindled not because
3:48 they lack skills or work ethic, but
3:51 because the market has been tilted
3:53 against them by a flood of cheaper
3:55 labor. This isn't to vilify immigrants
3:58 who are often hardworking and pursuing
4:01 better lives. The issue is the system, a
4:05 system that incentivizes businesses to
4:08 undercut American workers while
4:09 politicians look the other way. The left
4:12 in particular cheers this as compassion,
4:15 but it's a compassion that comes at the
4:17 expense of the very people they claim to
4:20 represent. Let's talk about this
4:22 so-called compassion. The left frames
4:24 unrestricted immigration as a moral
4:26 imperative. Painting opponents as
4:28 heartless xenophobes, but compassion is
4:31 not measured by how loudly you proclaim
4:34 your virtue. It's measured by outcomes.
4:37 And the outcomes of mass low-skill
4:39 immigration are clear. wage suppression,
4:41 job displacement, and a hollowedout
4:44 middle class. Who suffers most? Low-wage
4:47 workers, disproportionately black and
4:49 Hispanic, who compete directly with new
4:53 arrivals for the same job. Take the
4:55 example of meat packing, an industry
4:57 transformed by immigration over the past
5:00 few decades. In the 1980s, meatacking
5:02 jobs were often unionized, paying wages
5:05 that supported a middle class lifestyle,
5:08 20 to $30 an hour in today's dollars.
5:13 Today, many of these jobs are filled by
5:15 low-skilled immigrants, often
5:16 undocumented, working for half that
5:18 amount in hazardous conditions. The left
5:21 decries exploitation while supporting
5:23 policies that enable it.
5:26 They'll march for a $15 minimum wage in
5:29 one breath and in the next defend the
5:33 influx of workers who make that wage
5:35 unattainable by undercutting it. This is
5:38 not compassion. It's a contradiction
5:40 wrapped in moral posturing. The
5:42 hypocrisy deepens when you consider the
5:45 left's rhetoric about jobs Americans
5:47 won't do. This is a moral slight of
5:50 hand, implying that nativeborn workers
5:52 are lazy or entitled. The truth is
5:54 simpler. Americans won't do those jobs
5:56 that the wages offered because the wages
5:58 have been driven down by an over supply
6:01 of labor. If you paid $25 an hour for
6:05 fruit pickers or construction laborers,
6:08 you'd find plenty of Americans lining
6:10 up. The claim that we need illegal
6:12 immigrants to build houses or pick fruit
6:14 is nonsense. It's it's not that the work
6:18 can't be done without them. It's that
6:20 businesses prefer the cheaper
6:23 alternative and politicians enable it.
6:25 Now, let's address a statistic that
6:27 should alarm anyone who cares about
6:29 America's economic health. 7 million
6:32 prime age men between 25 and 54 are no
6:37 longer in the labor force. They're not
6:39 working, not looking for work, and not
6:42 contributing to the economy. This is a
6:44 staggering number up from just a few
6:46 million a few decades ago.
6:49 Why? Part of the answer lies in the
6:52 erosion of economic incentives. When
6:54 low-skilled jobs pay less than welfare
6:56 benefits or under the table cash, many
6:59 men, particularly those with limited
7:01 education, opt out entirely. This isn't
7:04 laziness. It's a rational response to a
7:07 broken system. Black men in particular,
7:10 have seen their labor force
7:12 participation plummet. In 1970, over 80%
7:15 of black men in their prime were
7:17 employed or seeking work. Today, it's
7:19 closer to
7:21 65%. Hispanic men, too, have seen
7:24 declines, though less severe. Meanwhile,
7:27 the influx of low-skilled immigrants
7:30 continues unabated, filling jobs that
7:32 might otherwise draw these men back into
7:34 the workforce. The left ignores this,
7:37 focusing instead on narratives of
7:39 systemic racism or inequality. But
7:42 racism doesn't explain why employers can
7:45 bypass native workers for cheaper
7:47 alternatives. That's not a racial issue.
7:49 It's an economic one rooted in policy
7:52 choices. Now, let's examine the left's
7:55 contradictory stance on wages. They
7:57 demand a $15 federal minimum wage,
8:00 arguing it's a matter of justice for
8:02 low-income workers. Yet in the same
8:05 breath, they support immigration
8:07 policies that flood the market with
8:08 workers willing to toil for far less,
8:11 often off the books, skirting labor
8:13 laws. If you truly believed in raising
8:16 wages, wouldn't you prioritize enforcing
8:19 immigration laws to tighten the labor
8:22 market? Wouldn't you want to ensure that
8:24 employers compete for American workers,
8:27 driving wages up naturally? Instead, the
8:29 left's policies create a race to the
8:31 bottom where the only winners are
8:34 businesses exploiting cheap labor and
8:36 politicians exploiting moral rhetoric.
8:38 This contradiction isn't new. In the
8:42 19th century, labor unions, often led by
8:45 progressives, opposed unrestricted
8:47 immigration precisely because it
8:50 undercut wages. The Knights of Labor,
8:53 for instance, fought against Chinese
8:54 immigration in the 1880s, not out of
8:57 bigotry, but because they saw how it
8:59 depressed wages for native
9:01 workers. Today's left has abandoned this
9:05 logic, trading economic reality for
9:08 ideological purity. They'll cry for
9:10 higher wages while ensuring the
9:12 conditions that make those wages
9:13 impossible. The phrase, "Americans won't
9:16 do those jobs," deserves special
9:18 scrutiny, is a clever piece of
9:20 propaganda implying that immigrants are
9:22 filling an essential gap left by
9:24 unwilling natives. But let's unpack it.
9:27 In a free market, wages adjust to
9:29 attract workers. If no one wants to
9:31 clean houses for $8 an hour, employers
9:35 must offer 12, $15 or or more until the
9:39 job is filled. Historically, this is how
9:42 labor markets worked. In the early 20th
9:44 century, industries like steel and
9:46 railroads paid premium wages to attract
9:49 workers, including immigrants, to
9:51 grueling jobs. The difference today is
9:55 that government policies lacks
9:58 enforcement, sanctuary cities, and a
10:01 blind eye to under the table work
10:04 distort the market, allowing employers
10:07 to bypass this process. The left's
10:10 narrative also ignores history. During
10:13 World War II, when labor shortages hit
10:16 agriculture, the US didn't throw open
10:18 the borders. Instead, programs like the
10:21 Victory Garden Initiative and temporary
10:23 labor schemes filled the gap. Americans,
10:26 including women and teenagers, stepped
10:29 up. The idea that entire sectors of the
10:32 economy would collapse without illegal
10:34 immigration is a myth perpetuated to
10:36 justify bad policy. We built houses,
10:39 harvested crops, and ran factories long
10:42 before the current wave of mass
10:43 immigration. We can do it again if the
10:47 market is allowed to function. Let me be
10:49 clear. This is not an argument against
10:51 immigration itself. Immigrants have been
10:54 a vital part of America's economic
10:56 success, often outperforming nativeborn
10:58 citizens when given the chance to
11:00 compete in free markets. Look at Chinese
11:02 immigrants in the 19th and 20th
11:04 centuries. Despite facing
11:06 discrimination, exclusionary laws, and
11:09 violence, they built thriving
11:11 businesses. Restaurants, and shops,
11:14 through ingenuity and hard work. By the
11:17 late 20th century, Chinese American
11:19 median income surpassed those of many
11:21 native groups. Not because of government
11:24 handouts, but because of economic
11:27 freedom. This is the irony. Immigrants
11:30 thrive when markets are free, not when
11:34 they're distorted by government policies
11:36 that incentivize
11:38 exploitation. Today's lowskilled
11:41 immigrants could follow the same path as
11:43 their predecessors if we stopped using
11:45 them as pawns in a political game. But
11:47 instead, the left traps them in a cycle
11:50 of low-wage work while claiming to be
11:53 their savior. The real issue isn't
11:55 immigrants, it's the politicization of
11:57 immigration. which benefits elites while
12:01 harming both immigrants and native
12:04 workers. Some on the right proposed
12:07 tying immigration restrictions to
12:09 tariffs, arguing that this will protect
12:11 American workers by discouraging
12:13 outsourcing and illegal labor. While the
12:16 intention is noble, this approach often
12:19 backfires. Tariffs raise costs for
12:22 consumers and businesses, distorting
12:24 markets in ways that rarely benefit the
12:26 working class. Historically, immigrants
12:30 have thrived in America precisely
12:32 because our markets were relatively
12:34 free, allowing entrepreneurs, immigrant
12:36 or otherwise, to innovate and compete.
12:39 The Smoot Holly tariff of 1930, for
12:42 example, deepened the Great Depression
12:45 by choking trade and killing jobs. Tying
12:49 immigration to such measures risk
12:51 similar economic self-sabotage. The
12:53 better solution is simpler. Enforce
12:56 existing immigration laws. secure the
12:58 border and let the labor market
12:59 function. If employers can't rely on
13:02 cheap, illegal labor, they'll compete
13:04 for American workers, raising wages
13:07 naturally. This isn't anti-immigrant.
13:09 It's pro market, and it benefits
13:11 everyone who plays by the rules. The
13:13 broader consequence of these policies is
13:16 the erosion of the American middle
13:18 class. A strong middle class requires
13:21 good jobs at decent wages, but mass
13:25 low-skilled immigration undermines both.
13:28 When businesses can hire undocumented
13:30 workers at cut rate prices, they have
13:33 little incentive to invest in training,
13:36 automation, or higher wages for
13:38 Americans. This creates a vicious cycle.
13:40 Low wages discourage labor force
13:42 participation, which increases
13:44 dependence on welfare, which further
13:46 strains the economy. Black and Hispanic
13:48 workers already facing historical
13:50 disadvantages bear the brunt. Studies
13:52 like those by economist George Bouras
13:55 show that a 10% increase in the
13:57 immigrant share of the labor force can
13:59 reduce black wages by 3 to 4%. The
14:03 effect is less severe for Hispanics but
14:05 still significant. Yet the left rarely
14:07 acknowledges this, preferring to frame
14:09 immigration as a moral absolute rather
14:13 than an economic trade-off. the middle
14:15 class once the backbone of American
14:17 prosperity is being squeezed and the
14:21 left's policies are tightening the vice.
14:23 To illustrate further, consider the
14:25 historical context of labor markets in
14:27 the early 20th century before mass
14:29 immigration became a political football.
14:32 Industries like manufacturing attracted
14:35 waves of European immigrants who worked
14:37 hard and climbed the economic ladder.
14:40 They didn't rely on government lares.
14:42 They relied on markets that rewarded
14:45 effort. Irish immigrants, for example,
14:48 started as laborers and within a
14:50 generation were entering the
14:51 professions. Why? Because wages were
14:54 allowed to rise and employers had to
14:56 compete for
14:57 workers. Today's policies, by contrast,
15:00 locked both immigrants and natives into
15:02 a low-wage trap with the left cheering
15:06 it on as progress. Another example comes
15:08 from agriculture. In the 1960s, the end
15:11 of the Brasero program, which brought in
15:14 temporary Mexican laborers, forced
15:16 California farmers to innovate. They
15:18 invested in mechanization and higher
15:20 wages, and the industry thrived.
15:22 American workers filled the gaps,
15:24 proving that the jobs Americans won't
15:26 do. Mantra is a lie. When incentives
15:29 align, markets work. But when government
15:33 distorts those
15:35 incentives, everyone loses except the
15:38 politicians and businesses who profit
15:41 from the status quo. You know, the
15:43 left's moralizing also glosses over the
15:45 human cost to immigrants themselves.
15:48 Undocumented workers, often living in
15:50 the shadows, face exploitation, unsafe
15:53 conditions, and no recourse. By refusing
15:55 to enforce borders, the left perpetuates
15:58 a system that traps these workers in
16:00 vulnerability, all while claiming to be
16:03 their advocate. True compassion would
16:05 mean creating a legal, orderly
16:07 immigration process that respects both
16:09 the immigrant and the American worker.
16:12 We've covered a lot of ground, but the
16:13 core issue
16:15 remains. Policies must be judged by
16:17 their consequences, not their
16:19 intentions.
16:20 The left's immigration stance is cloaked
16:24 in compassion, but its effects are
16:27 anything but
16:28 compassionate. It depresses wages,
16:31 displaces workers, and undermines the
16:34 economic foundation of the very
16:35 communities it claims to
16:38 uplift. The hypocrisy is stark. They
16:41 demand higher wages while flooding the
16:44 market with low wage labor. They decry
16:47 inequality while enabling the conditions
16:49 that perpetuate it. They champion the
16:52 vulnerable while ignoring the Americans
16:54 left behind. Facts don't care about
16:58 political narratives. 7 million men out
17:01 of the labor force, stagnant wages, and
17:03 a shrinking middle class. These are the
17:06 real costs of the left's policies.
17:08 Immigrants aren't the problem. Bad
17:11 policies are. If we want a stronger
17:13 economy, we need to enforce the law,
17:15 free the market, and prioritize the
17:18 well-being of all Americans, native born
17:20 and immigrant alike. Anything less is
17:24 just noise, loud, emotional, and utterly
17:28 divorced from reality.
Chrome Extension