The Reality-Based Economics of Immigration, with Jenny Hunt
Jenny Hunt is a Rutgers University professor, the former Chief Economist at the Department of Labor, and a key contributor to the gold-standard, 600-page consensus report on the economic consequences of immigration. Don’t worry, we’re going to summarize it together in 45 breezy minutes!
Economists agree that immigration makes native-born Americans wealthier on average, expands the U.S. economy, and has positive long-term effects on government budgets. The main debate is over the impact of immigration on the wages of Americans without a high school education – and they would be helped far more by a stronger social safety net than by restricting immigration. So what’s the anti-immigrant movement really about…?
In This Episode
- Introduction
- Who is Jenny Hunt and what is a serial immigrant?
- Is immigration to the U.S. high or low?
- What are the economic upsides of immigration?
- Winners and losers (but not by much)
- That time Donald Trump cited the National Academy of Sciences
- Second-generation immigrants do great in the USA
- What are the best policies to help the least educated Americans?
- That time David Leonhardt cited the National Academy of Sciences
- Doug’s best impression of Michael Barbaro
- What is the deal with economist George Borjas?
- Immigrants and housing costs
- The idea of “cheap labor”
- Why economists hate the term “labor shortage”…
- …and also zero-sum misconceptions about the world
- Scapegoating immigrants over crime
- The Great Spaghetti Controversy
- Conclusion
Learn More
Amanda, Claire, and Doug express their own personal opinions on The Melting Pod. This episode was produced by Michael Palmer (palmer.media). Read more about the topics in this episode:
The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration
E Pluribus Unum: Findings from the Cato Institute 2021 Immigration and Identity National Survey
Macroeconomic Implications of Immigration Flows in 2025 and 2026
Rising Immigration Has Helped Cool an Overheated Labor Market
Take it with a grain of salt!
On the Ballot: An Immigration System Most Americans Never Wanted
Take it with an even bigger grain of salt!
The Cuba-Born Harvard Economist Behind Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
Immigrants Have Lower Lifetime Incarceration Rates than Native-Born Americans
From Chinese to Italians and beyond, maligning a culture via its foods is a longtime American habit
Give More
Want to help build a more sane and humane immigration system? Support hardworking organizations like these:
National
Working to ensure the U.S. keeps its promise to our Afghan allies
The country’s largest membership organization of asylum seekers, working together for change
Organizing and advocating for racial, social and economic justice
Providing humanitarian, legal, and social services
Strategic litigation and advocacy to uphold the rights of people seeking safety
Immigrant justice through litigation and storytelling
Local
Legal and humanitarian support to refugees, deportees, and other migrants in the U.S. and Tijuana
Providing assistance to the poor and most vulnerable populations in the Rio Grande Valley community
Free and low-cost legal services to immigrants and refugees in West Texas, New Mexico, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
News Digest: Green Card Chaos, Hunger Strikes, and Stern Dad Energy
We dive underneath the latest immigration headlines to make sense of the senseless. Why did the Trump administration threaten to shut down U.S. green card processing? Why did the press believe that Markwayne Mullin would be a kinder, gentler DHS Secretary than Kristi Noem? Why is Marco Rubio’s State Department promoting the expulsion of people like Marco Rubio? Plus a 30-second new play and a beautiful story from the steps of the Supreme Court.
Next EpisodeA Winning Message on Immigration, with Beatriz Lopez
In the 2024 presidential election, Republicans spent nearly $600 million on political advertisements pounding Biden (and then Harris) for botching the border. The Democrats’ uninspiring message in response was: “No we didn’t.” Ever wonder why Republicans dominate the national conversation on immigration, while Democratic politicians seem reluctant to talk about it? Beatriz Lopez is a veteran political strategist and immigration advocate with a story to tell: Why Democrats long ago decided to treat immigration as a “losing issue,” how the MAGA message machine filled the void with anti-immigrant scapegoating, and how a vocally pro-immigrant message can be both popular and effective.