Because the census counts all residents regardless of legal status, blue states experiencing population decline due to citizen out-migration can maintain their congressional seats and electoral votes. This creates a powerful political incentive for Democrats to resist mass deportations, as it directly impacts their national power base.
While socially problematic, residential clustering of minority groups is politically advantageous. Uniformly distributed minorities risk getting 0% of seats even with significant voter share, as they can't form a majority in any single district. Clustering allows them to secure representation by creating districts they can win.
Contrary to common political narratives, undocumented immigrants are often a net positive for government finances. They are heavily documented for tax purposes (e.g., Social Security) and pay into these systems but are less likely to draw benefits, effectively subsidizing programs for citizens and creating a highly profitable workforce.
States can increase congressional representation and electoral votes by boosting population counts for the census. This creates an incentive to attract residents, including illegal immigrants, and fund their needs by leveraging federal assistance programs, often through fraudulent means, effectively offloading the cost of gaining political power.
High immigration allows politicians to report positive overall GDP growth, creating an illusion of prosperity. However, this masks the reality that per-capita GDP has been stagnant or declining, meaning the average citizen is getting poorer. It is framed as a political tool to obscure a failing economy.
Immigrant communities are often socially conservative and pro-business, values that align with conservative parties. However, Roy Ratneville argues they frequently vote for liberal parties out of fear, fueled by media portrayals of conservatives as anti-immigrant. This perception overrides their natural policy alignment.
For decades, the US has benefited from a flexible, low-cost undocumented labor force that performs essential jobs domestic workers avoid. Both political parties have implicitly allowed this system to thrive because it is economically advantageous, creating a class of workers that is documented for profit but not for legal status.
America intentionally avoided solving illegal immigration because it serves a crucial economic purpose: providing a flexible, cheap labor force that doesn't draw on social safety nets. This benefits industries and consumers while placing little burden on the state.
Polling data reveals a critical nuance in public perception. Two-thirds of Democrats and a majority of independents interpret the "Abolish ICE" slogan not as eliminating immigration enforcement, but as a demand to replace the agency with a system aligned with American values and due process, a distinction often lost in political attacks.
Immigration policy must account for economic incentives. Unlike in the past, modern welfare states make immigration an economically rational choice for survival, not just opportunity. This shifts the dynamic, attracting individuals based on benefits rather than a desire to contribute without a safety net.
A welfare state with low barriers to entry incentivizes immigration for economic benefits. This can lead to systemic fraud and weakened voter laws as politicians cater to this new bloc to gain and retain power, even if it harms the state's long-term stability.