Why immigration has strengthened the economy
A record number of migrants have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years, and Democrats and Republicans can\u2019t agree on a solution to address the crisis. But data shows that this surge has strengthened the U.S. economy.
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On Thursday, President Biden and former president Donald Trump traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border, underscoring how central immigration is in this year\u2019s presidential campaign.
As Biden and Trump clash over how to address immigration at the southern border \u2014 and as Congress stalls on a border deal \u2014 data shows that this immigration has actually propelled the U.S. job market further than expected, helping cement the country\u2019s economic rebound as the most robust in the world.
\u201cImmigration, it turns out, has played an absolutely crucial role in that growth,\u201d says economics reporter Rachel Siegel. \u201cThere is absolutely no way \u2014 economists told me \u2014 that we could have seen the kind of booming labor market \u2014 especially over the past year \u2014 without a really strong surge in immigration in 2023.\u201d
Today\u2019s show was produced by Sabby Robinson, with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Lucy Perkins. Thanks also to Lauren Kaori Gurley and Meryl Kornfield.
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