Paul Krugman: Why a MAGA 'war on immigrants' would be an 'economic disaster' for America
2024 GOP presidential primary frontrunner Donald Trump recently accused immigrants of "poisoning the blood of our country," and he has promised mass deportations if he wins his party's nomination and defeats incumbent President Joe Biden next year.
The MAGA movement has been vehemently anti-immigrant. But liberal economist and New York Times opinion writer Paul Krugman, in his November 13 column, lays out some reasons why immigration is an economic plus — and why a "Trumpian war on immigration" would be an "economic disaster" for the United States.
"Look, I know there's a debate over whether the MAGA movement fully meets the classic criteria for fascism," Krugman argues, "but can we at least agree that its language is increasingly fascist-adjacent? And so are its policies."
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Krugman continues, "On Saturday, The Times reported that Trump, if returned to office, intends to pursue drastic anti-immigration policies — scouring the country for undocumented immigrants and building huge camps to, um, concentrate them before deporting them by the millions."
Trump ally Stephen Miller has claimed that mass deportations will be "celebrated by American workers, who will now be offered higher wages with better benefits to fill these jobs." But Krugman stresses that "very few economists would agree."
"The contribution of immigrants to America's long-term growth is startlingly large," Krugman explains. "Since 2007, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. labor force has increased by 14.6 million. Of these additional workers, 7.8 million — more than half — were foreign-born. Oh, and if these immigrants are taking away American jobs, how can the unemployment rate be near a 50-year low?"
Krugman adds, "In fact, we desperately need these workers — among other things, because they will help us cope with the needs of an aging population."
Read Paul Krugman's full New York Times column at this link (subscription required).
