Mass Deportation: As Costs Rise and Fear Spreads, Will “Concerned” Republicans Put Any Muscle Behind Alternative Vision?

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Washington, DC — America’s Voice continues to ask, “at what cost to America” is the Trump/Miller plan to purge America of immigrants? Leading economic analysts and industry experts are sounding the alarm about the devastating impact mass deportation is having on local economies and national industries. And now, as some Republicans speak out, it begs the question as to whether or not these GOP voices are prepared to go past lip service to put real muscle behind a better way on immigration?

See below excerpts from reporting on the economic and community harms caused by Trump’s mass deportation agenda:

●     Nebraska Examiner op-ed by Lina Traslaviña Stover, “Immigration uncertainty is weakening Nebraska’s families and economy,” noting: “The uncertainty of our immigration system is no longer an abstract policy debate. It’s an immediate threat to Nebraska’s workforce, classrooms and communities … Local businesses are struggling to stay open. Employers in key industries, including hospitality, food processing, construction and healthcare, are facing major labor shortages. Nursing homes are losing essential caregivers.”

●     Bloomberg column by economist Claudia Sahm, “Grow the Economy? Not With These Immigration Restrictions,” noting: “The administration’s agenda of sharply lower immigration and mass deportations is bad for growth.”

●     Boston’s WGBH, “Immigration policy shifts are already costing health workers their jobs in Massachusetts,” noting: “in Massachusetts … one in four healthcare workers are immigrants. The share is even higher for home health aides, which had a 46% foreign-born workforce even before the recent influx of migrants to the state. The problem is heightened by a growing need for the health care and home care workers to support aging seniors.”

●     And in California, where the costs and harms of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown are already being felt most acutely, Politico spotlights how some state and congressional delegation Republicans are starting to call for a different immigration approach—but have thus far yet to go beyond letters and soundbites and vague concern. As Politico writes in “The state where immigration raids are becoming a problem for Republicans,” “Republican officials publicly expressing their concern, so far, have been limited. Just six of the 29 GOP members of the state Legislature signed the Valladares letter [referring to a letter from Republican state Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares urging the Trump administration “to focus on criminal immigrants] … Two of the nine Republicans in California’s House delegation — Rep. David Valladao and Rep. Young Kim — have signed on to legislation that would combine border security with a path to citizenship for some undocumented migrants. But on Monday, the state Legislature’s Problem Solvers Caucus, composed of 13 Republicans and 13 Democrats, issued a statement to the members of the state’s congressional delegation urging them to work on “bipartisan, common-sense immigration reform” that would include both border security and a path to legal status for undocumented workers who pose no threat to public safety “Immigrants have long been the backbone of California’s economy and an essential part of our communities — raising families, building businesses, and powering key industries,” it said.

According to Joanna Kuebler, America’s Voice Chief of Programs:

“The cost is rising, the fear is spreading and voters are rejecting ugly mass deportation. And some in the GOP-controlled Congress who just voted to fund ICE and empower mass deportation at record levels are now calling for a more sensible immigration vision in line with the American public’s wishes and the American economy’s needs.

Voters are clear about what they want – a balanced approach to immigration that protects our borders, our industries, and our communities. They did not vote to see their neighbors ripped out of cars, local store fronts shuttered, and entire industries like home healthcare, hospitality, and construction threatened. What is unclear is whether these Republican voices are prepared to go beyond press releases, letters and soundbites to put real muscle behind an alternative vision? Or if they are feeling the pressure from constituents and simply want a fresh soundbite to deliver over the August recess? Time will tell who is prepared to put real muscle behind an alternative and common-sense vision for real immigration solutions.”