[New York Diary] Biden Raises Border Walls... It's Not Someone Else's Problem

John F. Kennedy, the Bush family, Bill Clinton, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, ...

These former and current U.S. presidents share a common trait: they are descendants of immigrants. Former President Trump is a third-generation German immigrant, while the other presidents are all descendants of Irish immigrants. It is natural, as the United States is a nation of immigrants. Around the 18th century, when the country was founded, a large number of immigrants from Europe arrived, and since then, the U.S. has actively accepted immigrants, developing into a multiethnic, multicultural society. In this process, the "American Dream"?the idea that anyone can succeed through hard work in the land of opportunity?also flourished.

Now, the immigrant haven of the U.S. has become an anti-immigrant country building "border walls" regardless of party lines. President Biden, who had pursued pro-immigration policies, announced an executive order on June 4 to restrict illegal immigration. The order limits the number of immigrants crossing the southern border with Mexico illegally to 2,500 per day, banning asylum and enforcing deportation if this number is exceeded. This policy resembles that of former President Trump, who called illegal immigrants "animals" and promised border closures and forced deportations. With the November election approaching and illegal immigration becoming a top issue for voters, President Biden ultimately shifted his policy stance.

Southern border areas, including Texas, are suffering from illegal immigration. The number of people attempting illegal entry at the U.S. southwest border increased fivefold over ten years, from 570,000 in 2014 to 2.48 million in 2023. Refugees fleeing economic hardship and security instability in Latin American countries such as Venezuela have surged, greatly increasing administrative burdens. Complaints have also arisen that immigrant crime has increased, causing social unrest. The white majority in American society is concerned about the growing numbers of Hispanic, Asian, and other people of color. Immigrants who arrived earlier are also negative about immigration because they must compete with new arrivals for jobs and housing. The narrative of fear toward immigration dominates American society as a whole.

There is a point that this anti-immigrant sentiment overlooks: the economic impact of immigration. The proportion of immigrants in the U.S. labor force is steadily increasing. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the share of foreign-born workers in the private labor force rose from 15.3% in 2006 to 18.6% in 2023. From 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, to 2023, 3.7 million immigrants entered the U.S. labor market, a 13.7% increase over three years. In contrast, native-born workers increased by only 2%, or 2.6 million. The U.S. labor force driving production and growth heavily depends on immigrants. Economists attribute the U.S. economy's avoidance of recession last year and its "lone boom" to the surge in immigration. Immigrants supplying labor to the job market are limiting wage and inflation increases, they analyze.

Immigration is also seen as a solution to the U.S.'s low birthrate and aging population problems. The total fertility rate in the U.S. fell from 2.1 in 2007 to a record low of 1.62 in 2023. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that from 2040, the number of deaths in the U.S. will exceed births. This means that without immigrant inflows, the U.S. population and labor force will continue to decline. Ultimately, immigration is the only solution to the chronic fiscal deficits, tax shortages, and debt problems in the U.S. The CBO also predicts that from 2023 to 2034, the U.S. labor force will increase by 5.2 million thanks to a surge in immigration, with GDP rising by about $7 trillion and tax revenues by $1 trillion compared to a scenario without immigrant inflows.

Immigration thus entails both economic benefits and social costs. The same is true for European countries like the UK and France, which faced immigration issues earlier than the U.S. The anti-immigrant sentiment in advanced countries is not a distant issue for South Korea, which has the lowest birthrate in the world and is likely to face a similar future. South Korea must also open its immigration gates actively as a countermeasure to low birthrates and low growth. Korea has already entered a multicultural society. The number of foreigners residing in the country is 2.5 million, accounting for 4.8% of the Korean population, close to the 5% foreigner ratio that the OECD classifies as a multicultural society. Although the ruling party’s crushing defeat in the general election has dimmed prospects for establishing an immigration agency, expanding immigration is an unavoidable reality for Korea, which recorded a total fertility rate of 0.72 last year, the lowest in the world. Korea’s culture, which is particularly exclusive toward foreigners, means that conflicts and costs related to immigrant inflows may also increase. National consensus and proactive measures are needed to minimize the social costs of expanding immigration. There is no room to watch the U.S.’s anti-immigrant sentiment and border closures as if they were a distant spectacle.