Immigration is On Americans’ Minds. And Politicians Are Seizing the Opportunity

Clarence Page, Tribune Content Agency on Mar 7, 2024

Sure, many communities continue to face higher levels of deadly violence than before killings spiked in 2019, according to a new report on crime trends by the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice. And numerous cities are seeing other serious crimes, such as motor vehicle thefts, increasing still even as homicides fall, according to the report.

The Congressional Budget Office, though, offers some positive news touching on immigration. This month, the nonpartisan agency estimated that the U.S. labor force will expand by 5.2 million people by 2033 — thanks in particular to net immigration.

In one bold conclusion, the agency projects that the nation’s economy will mushroom by $7 trillion more over the next 10 years than it would have without the new arrivals.

But the contentiousness of the issue is not going away. Immigration remains an intensely polarizing matter in our politics. New data from Gallup finds that Americans consider immigration to be the country’s top concern, surpassing inflation, the economy and issues with government.

Having immigration at the top of Americans’ list of worries is nothing new. We’ve been here before. But, despite the angst brought on over decades and even centuries when foreigners have sought a new life in America, the contributions of immigrants to the American story are undeniable.

We shouldn’t forget that, even as cities like Chicago struggle to manage and assimilate waves of newcomers. As much as immigration has led to suspicions, conflicts and misunderstandings, on balance it’s contributed to our country’s productivity and culture and it’s made life better for families escaping harsh conditions in their homelands. So it can be again.

========

(E-mail Clarence Page at cpage@chicagotribune.com.)