Howard County, Maryland is growing fast, and immigration is part of the reasons why. This is leading to the overcrowding of public schools in the county, leading to a redistricting plan unpopular with many residents there.
On Wednesday night, MSNBC hosted a debate for the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary candidates. Only one very poorly framed question related to immigration was asked the entire evening. It wasn't for lack of time, since there were no immigration questions asked in the three-hour marathon debate the previous month. It's almost as if the candidates, and the networks hosting the debates, don't want to talk about it.
The State Department last week released its ceiling of 18,000 for refugee admissions for FY2020. While refugee resettlement organizations criticized this number, down from 30,000 from the previous year, the Trump Administration showed that it is prioritizing the interests of the American people by setting a manageable limit on refugee admissions, and recognizing that it must first deal with the ongoing crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Add Ecuador to a growing list of South American countries beginning to close or significantly restrict mass migration spilling over their borders, a tragic consequence of the chaos and corruption that has plunged over 90% of Venezuela's population into poverty. It is estimated that by the end of this year, over 5 million Venezuelens will have fled their homeland.
The recent raids against seven chicken plants in Mississippi by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) demonstrate two things. Mandatory E-Verify is long overdue, and the criminal prosecution of employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens
Just about everything the American people are told by the corporate media promotes the idea that there is only an upside to mass immigration. A review of the academic literature reveals a large body of work detailing the benefits and costs of immigration. For some strange reason, only the former tends to receive wide-spread coverage.
The Supreme Court found that asking about citizenship on the census was constitutional and has a long historical precedent. It also ruled that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross' decision to include that question was "reasonable and reasonably explained." However, the Court blocked the question from being included on the 2020 census.
The official unemployment rate is at an "historic low" and job growth is encouraging. There is, however, more to the story. Wage growth remains sluggish and there is still a lot of "slack" in the labor market, meaning the claims of a labor shortage are attempts by employers to undo the recent gains made by American workers.
Americans are bombarded with polls telling them what they think. Often, these polls are presented in a way to convince Americans what they should think. To understand how well a poll captures public opinion the key is to look at how the questions are being asked and who are being asked the questions.
Many in the media are reporting that there is no crisis at the border because apprehensions are below "historic highs." That is true, but this framing is misleading. The increase in family units, unaccompanied minors, and asylum seekers has created an untenable situation. And total apprehensions increased in FY2018. The media recognized the problem in 2014. Now they tell us there's no need for concern.