The Lasting Economic Cost of Immigration Raids
Ask about Knowledge at Wharton
Episode Description
The economic impact of immigration raids can last far beyond the day they happen.
Exequiel (Zeke) Hernandez, Max and Bernice Garchik Family Presidential Professor at The Wharton School, explains why targeted communities can remain economically depressed and why immigration enforcement policy must account for the impact on local businesses and residents.
ABOUT THE PODCAST Every day, business scholars answer pressing questions in their research - but what do their insights mean for you? In this podcast, Wharton faculty dive into what inspired their studies and how their findings resonate with the world today. Learn how research insights translate into knowledge you can use, with host Dan Loney.
----- The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is committed to sharing its intellectual capital through Knowledge at Wharton, the school’s online business analysis journal.
Launched in 1999, Knowledge at Wharton offers free access to:
- Articles, podcasts, and videos highlighting Wharton faculty research and analysis of current business trends - Interviews with book authors from Wharton School Press - In-depth series of curated content like Wharton Executive Education’s Nano Tools for Leaders - A searchable database of more than 10,000 articles covering all aspects of business - A weekly newsletter that delivers Knowledge at Wharton insights directly to your inbox
Visit the Knowledge at Wharton homepage: https://whr.tn/3qUpSBE Subscribe to the Knowledge at Wharton YouTube channel: https://whr.tn/3DEAgAU
Brief Summary
The speaker argues that immigration enforcement policies are depressing local economies and causing lasting harm, making a rethink necessary.
Key points
- A policy choice with lasting economic damage. The speaker argues that depressed local economies are not the result of COVID or a recession, but of a government policy choice. They say immigration enforcement should be reconsidered when its approach causes lasting ha
Transcript
You don't have to speculate about that. I mean, just look at you know, Charlotte. Look at Lake Street in Minneapolis. Uh at uh the areas around Home Depot's in LA. Like to this day, these economies are much more uh depressed than they were. And I think it's important to emphasize that unlike COVID or a true economic recession, this is being caused by a policy choice that that our government has made. And you know, to me the the the the implication here is not to say, "Okay, you know, we end all immigration enforcement." There is a role for that in a society that's legitimate. But I think the question is, when our policy approach and funding amount to immigration enforcement is
causing permanent damage on all businesses, on all individuals, and those effects are not going away. I think we can agree that that is not the role of immigration enforcement. We have to rethink how we're doing it. >> [music]
