
JD Vance, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, argued during an interview with The New York Times that deporting illegal immigrants would help millions of Americans re-enter the labor market. Vance explained that businesses would have no choice but to hire American workers if they could no longer rely on cheap, illegal labor.
During the interview, the reporter questioned Vance about the potential impact on industries like construction, which employ a significant number of undocumented workers. Vance responded by pointing out that Americans built homes before illegal immigration became widespread. “Back in the 1960s, Americans built houses without illegal immigrants,” Vance said, dismissing concerns that Americans wouldn’t fill these roles.
Vance believes that deporting illegal immigrants would provide job opportunities for the millions of Americans who have dropped out of the workforce. “You absolutely could re-engage folks into the American labor market,” Vance explained, referencing the large number of men and women who are no longer seeking employment.
He also criticized the way the unemployment rate is calculated, arguing that it doesn’t account for people who have given up looking for work. Vance pointed out that the labor force participation rate is a better measure of how many Americans are working or seeking work, and noted that it remains below pre-pandemic levels.
Vance concluded by arguing that businesses have become too reliant on illegal labor, which allows them to pay lower wages. He suggested that Americans would take these jobs if they were offered fair wages. “Americans won’t do those jobs for under-the-table wages, but they will for fair wages,” Vance said.