Editor’s note: When it comes to immigration – illegal or otherwise – the American people have a right to be concerned. Each week, Liberty Nation author Kelli Ballard will examine a contentious issue related to today’s hottest topic.

America is slowly reopening and some people are getting back to work, yet there are still many more who cannot return to their jobs. Small business owners have been hit hard and quite a few have had to close their doors. On April 22, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation to limit the number of immigrants into the country, but is that enough?

As Liberty Nation’s economic guru, Andrew Moran, wrote:

“According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 20.5 million jobs were lost in April, and the unemployment rate surged to 14.7%. This is the worst labor report in the history of the government’s series, and national employment is now at its lowest level since February 2011.”

Millions of American jobs were lost, and before this thing is over there could be a lot more employment fatalities. So, why open borders to immigrants to take even more jobs when our own citizens need to find work? About a million green cards are given out to migrants each year, and before the pandemic shutdown, around 900,000 temporary work visas were issued. Approximately 1.88 million work permits were given to foreigners, going to either students who finished their degrees, those who have not yet been approved for visas, or asylum seekers, among others.

Aside from jobs lost for U.S. citizens, look at the even higher unemployment rate for immigrants at 16.5%. Proponents of employment-based immigration try to argue that there is a shortage of workers in America, but that just doesn’t fit today’s pandemic employment status. The Pew Research Center’s 2018 study showed that real wages have not grown much in the past few decades for most workers, and the 2019 Economic Policy Institute study reveals wage growth has not happened in 40 years.

If real wages were growing, then employers would be bidding their jobs at higher rates to overcome the competition and a shortage of workers. High levels of immigration might just be a good culprit to blame. A restriction on work-related immigration could have been helpful earlier but seems to be a pressing need today when jobs are scarce and those that can find work may find reduced hours and benefits, which could continue for months to come.

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Read more from Kelli Ballard.

For home study students and young people, Liberty Nation recommends…

All About Immigration

High School: The Story of Immigration and America

Middle School: The Story of Immigration and America

Elementary School: The Story of Immigration and America

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Middle School: A Scientific Look at COVID-19

Elementary School: Coronavirus: The Science

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