The virtue and necessity of immigration

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The immigration debate has devolved into two dominant narratives, according to an expert on the topic: “Either they are villains who are here to harm us or they’re victims who are needy — our entire conversation about immigration surrounds either fear or pity, when in reality we should be excited because they are good for us.”

That’s the data-driven view of Exequiel (Zeke) Hernandez, a Uruguay-born academic who got his Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota. Now a University of Pennsylvania Wharton School associate professor, Hernandez is the author of “The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers.”

Last week, in an interview in advance of an address to the Economic Club of Minnesota on Monday, Hernandez referred to research that confirms five economic gains from immigration: talent, innovation, investment, consumption and taxes.

“It’s a self-interested message,” Hernandez said, “as opposed to pity versus fear.” And that fear of “chaos at the border and that imagery really creates this alarm.” And that, continued Hernandez, “distracts us from the fact that we desperately need those five things that immigrants bring.”

Fortunately, many in Minnesota’s business community aren’t distracted. Including the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and Chamber Foundation, which over the last 16 years have issued or sponsored five reports on immigration’s integration into the state’s economy. The latest, issued in late February, states among other conclusions that “the underlying need for more immigration is likely to continue in coming years. Minnesota faces a long-term population slowdown, driven by an aging population, declining birthrates and negative net domestic migration.”

In just one quantitative example, the reports states that Minnesota’s population grew by 50% in the 50-year period between 1970 and 2020 but is expected to temper to just 7% in the next 50 years, posing a “substantial challenge to Minnesota’s short and long-term economic performance” (and by extension, the state’s budget).

Like Hernandez, the chamber is vigilant about not letting legitimate concerns over undocumented immigrants eclipse the need for legal newcomers. From 2012 to 2022, Minnesota’s foreign-born population increased by 26% while its estimated undocumented population remained flat (despite occasional fluctuations), the report stated, adding: “This suggests that concerns about border security and immigration enforcement should not be conflated with Minnesota’s longer term immigration trends, which have provided a clear boost to the state’s economy.”

Amplifying the conclusion, Sean O’Neil, the Minnesota Chamber Foundation’s director of economic development and research, said in a statement that “Minnesota’s economy and workforce depend on a strong pipeline of talent, and immigration has become the leading driver of our state’s population growth. With foreign-born workers accounting for the majority of recent employment gains, it’s clear that New Americans are playing a crucial role in filling workforce gaps and keeping our economy competitive.”

Indeed, immigrants are so integral to Minnesota’s future that the worry should be about how attractive the state is to talented people worldwide, not repelling them through rhetoric.

But unfortunately, that’s what’s happening all too often in today’s America, where the symbolism of the Statue of Liberty is eclipsed by statutes and harassment of some immigrants, as well as the cruel curtailing of refugee admissions, even of Afghans whose lives are likely to be jeopardized by being abandoned by their erstwhile U.S. allies. Other high-profile cases include the detention of several international students — some for their pro-Palestinian activism — and in the most Orwellian example, the inadvertent deportation of a Salvadoran immigrant to an infamous prison in El Salvador. Rather than extract him from what U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis called a “grievous error” that “shocks the conscience,” the Trump administration appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to keep him there; a request that was temporarily granted by Chief Justice John Roberts, who Monday issued an administrative stay providing the full court time to rule on the matter. Nonetheless, the ordeal has created a chilling effect even for legal U.S. residents.

This chill is seemingly felt by more than three-quarters of U.S. scientists who responded to a survey for the publication Nature who are considering leaving the country for Canada or Europe. Many of these scientists — the very kind of people who have propelled American innovation (and incomes) — cited the administration’s anti-science ethos, including defunding by fiat under Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Hernandez said that potential emigration is “a worry.” He then spoke of “America’s brain drain” by saying: It’s “not just that we might have people emigrate, it’s also that we train and throw away talent at an astonishing rate in this country.” Citing a study indicating that fewer than one in four international students trained in U.S. universities eventually end up working here, Hernandez said “that’s just a deadweight loss.”

States, Hernandez stressed, don’t set immigration policy. But politicians on the federal level, including Minnesota’s four Republican U.S. representatives, should advocate for more friendly immigration policies. But unfortunately, those representatives won’t act without prodding from those they represent.

“We need to speak up right now,” said Hernandez. “We’re in a moment where I think everyone is a little bit cowed, a little bit afraid to speak up. I see this in the business community; business leaders who desperately see the need for immigrants but are scared.”

Everyday citizens should not be afraid of immigration — or speaking up for it. The country’s economic and political future — and the very essence of what it means to be an American — depends on it.