Frontiers of Migranomics from one of our intellectual elites, a New Yorker writer:
We’ve been informed, as a matter of Scientific Fact, that low-skill immigration does not reduce wages for the American working class (contrary to Harvard economists’ analysis). Now the same Scientists are telling us that employers will be forced to pay higher wages, e.g., to apartment cleaners and roofers, if low-skill migrants are sent back to their home countries. More immigrants caused wages to rise (the undocumented built the current American economy) and, also, a reduction in immigrant supply would cause wages to rise.
This reminds me of Immigrants expand our economy, but millions of immigrants exiting the U.S. don’t shrink our economy.
Separately, I’ve refined my Is U.S. immigration policy a form of animal hoarding? post into a more succinct form (without even trying AI!):
The passion for low-skill immigration has the same rational basis as keeping 100 cats in a 2BR apartment: “Animal hoarding is an accumulation of animals that has overwhelmed a person’s ability to provide minimum standards of care. … Rescue hoarders believe they’re the only people that can adequately care for their animals.” The same people who say that the U.S. has a dire shortage of affordable housing and health care then say that the 70 million migrants we’ve welcomed in recent decades aren’t sufficient and we need to bring in more migrants.
My new standard response on X, featuring photos from Unlimited Car Wash in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, November 21, 2025:
Without 70 million immigrants and their children (another 50 million?) who will hand-wash and vacuum my Rolls-Royce for $21?
In case the Jill Filipovic tweet is memory-holed:
Immigrants are good for their economy, but not for your economy?
Being logically consistent is not important to some folks.
1. Child care is too expensive; regular people cannot afford it.
2. Child care workers are not paid well enough; they all deserve a raise.
Anon: That’s a great point. Child care is so expensive that only billionaires should pay for it via their taxes!