In Two Years, the U.S. Immigration Boom Will Be an Economic Boon if We Embrace Immigrants
Most politicians have 24/05 vision. They can’t see past Election Day, November 5, 2024. But all this huffing about the recent arrival of new immigrants misses the forest for the trees. In two years, today’s immigration boom will be a vitality victory for Ohio cities and towns.
“Brain drain” is a real problem for Ohio’s past, present, and future. Our regressive legislature demonizes anyone existing outside of a white, male, heterosexual, “Christian” identity. (“Christian” is in quotes because a lot of the complaints we hear from people who claim to be Christian are rooted in hatred, and Jesus was not a hater.) This makes Ohio, in general, a less than safe and welcoming place to live.
There are pockets of goodness, though, and there are people who are not giving up on the Buckeye State. Dave Chapelle, who has a home in Yellow Springs, describes it like this: “This is strange place, Ohio, but this is a good place.”
So what about immigrants? How do they fit in?
The United States is experiencing a period of higher migration, and state and federal politicians are using this to exploit nativist fears. But, as we demonstrate through the Ohio Migration Anthology project, migration is as old as time and as basic as breathing. Whether your ancestors are Black Americans who moved north during the Great Migrations; white Europeans who trampled over existing Native populations to found this nation; southern Europeans who were treated as “other” until the dominant culture found other people to malign; or more recent arrivals from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and beyond, you came from somewhere — unless you have purely Native ancestry.
What happens next is what matters. And the act of migrating is, by definition, temporary. Settling in is for the long-term.
Because Congress has not acted to build paths for international migration, people are arriving at U.S. borders and asking for a chance to save their own lives. Despite what you hear from politicians with 24/05 vision, this is a fully legal process.
It’s what my ancestors did too when they came from Italy over 100 years ago. They didn’t have a visa before they arrived. They showed up, passed some screenings, and were let in. They went on to open a grocery story, fruit orchard, and distribution business. They made their American dream because they were allowed to.
Today’s migrants are no different. But the process they face has too many landmines. Immediate detention upon arrival. The need to somehow access legal help to secure your release and make your case in immigration court, all while behind bars in a foreign country where you may not speak the language, and certainly can’t afford to hire counsel or pay exorbitant immigration bonds.
If you overcome all of that, and aren’t immediately turned back or deported, it’s time to settle in. Communities have been welcoming immigrants with open arms, including established immigrants who have been there before and others who recognize the inherent human dignity of all people.
In U.S. asylum law, you cannot apply for a work permit until your asylum case has been pending for at least six months. This means that people who have been going through the process for a year or more are still awaiting their legal work permits. In the meantime, they’re doing odd jobs for $20, $40, maybe $60 a day. That’s not enough to sustain a person in any economy, whether its Ohio or New York, much less a family. It’s a period of great stress, exploitation, and instability.
But once they get access to those work permits, things change. They have the right to full, legal employment at the minimum wage or better. They can get an Ohio ID and rent their own place. Build a credit history. Maybe purchase a new pair of shoes, some clothes. Participate in Ohio’s state and local economies and pay more in taxes. Start to save. Take a breath.
Ohio Capital Journal reports, “There are 8.5 million vacant jobs in the United States, and about 50% of the supercharged growth in the recent job market has been attributed to the recent surge in migration.” A Columbus company is offering English classes to workers who don’t yet speak English. This is a business imperative, yes, but it’s also good for workers and communities.
As community leader Maryam Sy said in a meeting with recently-arrived immigrants and northeast Ohio mayors, “There are plumbers in the room. This young man managed a restaurant in Mauritania. They have skills and they want to use them.”
Every person has talents they bring to bear. But our laws basically only permit immigrants to come here for work if they are doctors, computer engineers, or fashion models. We should welcome people’s contributions to any industry that needs them, and recognize that immigration is not a zero-sum game. Immigrants are people who work, yes, but they also purchase goods and services, take care of their families, and stimulate the economy in many ways. Ohio’s towns and cities could benefit from that energy.
The city of Denver is piloting a new settlement approach where recently-arrived migrants can get short-term food and housing assistance while building job skills and learning about life in the United States. It’s a six-month program that is only open to people who haven’t yet received their work permits. It’s about setting them up for success once they get that all important piece of paper — which also happens to benefit the communities in which they live.
Sarah Plastino is overseeing the program in Denver. She said, “This is investing in people to set them up to be independent and thrive. We know that when we set people up for success, people really do succeed.”
Denver’s program also happens to be more cost effective than its previous approach.
This alternative of helping immigrants learn and settle in, rather than treating them like a problem, is so simple yet so profound, given the current demonization of immigrants. Places that embrace immigrants and their economic energy — their absolute commitment to thriving, against all odds—will come out ahead. Ohio could be one of them, if we adopted our own creative approach.
The short-sighted reaction of politicians who demonize immigrants is about stoking fear to win an election. They’re provoking racial tensions instead of bringing us together as strong, united communities.
Let’s get that clear and stop playing along.
