President-elect Donald Trump is facing calls to implement a freeze on both legal and illegal immigration in order to prioritize American employment opportunities.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) emphasized the importance of addressing the issue of illegal immigration and the impact it has on job opportunities for American workers. He cited census and Labor Department reports which indicate that a significant number of new jobs are being filled by foreign-born workers. In light of this, he proposed that the United States should temporarily halt illegal immigration and the admission of 3 million legal immigrants until effective measures are in place to prioritize American workers for these positions.
Republican Representative Chip Roy is urging his party members, as well as the president and administration, to pause their current actions and assess the situation at hand. He believes that it is crucial to address the issue of illegal immigration by removing those who have entered the country unlawfully and sending them back to their respective home countries. Roy emphasizes the need to restore the rule of law and prioritize border security before any further steps are taken.
Speaking at a conference organized by the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, Roy emphasized the importance of prioritizing border security. He stated, “If you truly believe in putting America first, then it is crucial to address border security as a top priority before engaging in a comprehensive discussion about our workforce.” Roy’s remarks highlight the need to secure the border before delving into broader conversations about the state of the American workforce.
Arriving fully prepared, Roy brought along a plethora of statistics to support his argument that both legal and illegal immigration are having a profound impact on the cultural landscape of America.
According to him, the immigrant population in America has reached unprecedented levels, both in terms of absolute numbers and as a percentage of the total population. He mentioned that there are currently 51.5 million individuals in the U.S. who were born in another country, accounting for approximately 16% of the total population.
In the early 1900s, the foreign-born population reached a similar high percentage. During that period, the federal government applied a cautious approach, slowing down immigration for almost four decades before eventually ramping it up again.
According to the speaker, the number of people that have been allowed into the country exceeds the combined total of every other country in the world.
According to Roy, the arguments put forward by businesses in favor of hiring foreign tech workers do not hold much weight. He points out that America produces a significant number of STEM graduates. However, he also highlights that most of these graduates do not end up pursuing STEM-related careers.
Roy inquired, “What is our course of action?” He pointed out that the current situation involves providing financial support to large corporations in order to employ cheaper foreign labor. Simultaneously, American workers are being subsidized to stay unemployed or pursue employment outside their field of study, particularly in non-STEM areas. This, Roy emphasized, is the reality of the situation.
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He ridiculed the continuous demands for immigration reform, implying that Washington is not interested in it and is, instead, providing corporations with the inexpensive foreign labor they desire.
“There is a lot of talk about H-1B and the urgency for immigration reform, as if this is something new. The truth is, we have been having this conversation for decades. It seems that big corporate interests prioritize cheap labor over American workers, causing a distortion in our country’s culture and neglecting our open borders. Republicans often campaign on securing these borders but fail to fully address the issue or undo the damage caused by their initial lack of security. This is the reality,” stated Roy firmly.