As White House Ramps Up Amnesty Advocacy, Compelling New Data Shows Labor Glut in All Fields

Earlier today, in part to deflect attention from the roiling Obamacare follies, President Obama returned his attention to immigration reform. Meeting with some of the most influential leaders in big business, including State Farm, Motorola Solutions and McDonald’s, Obama emphasized that legislation can pass the House by year end and urged the executives to press their representatives for immediate action.

Said Obama, repeating familiar half-truths:

The politics are challenging for the speaker [John Boehner] and others, and we want to make it as easy for him as possible. This is not an issue where we're looking for a political win. This is one where we're looking for a substantive win for the U.S. economy and the American people and the businesses that are represented here.

[Obama Expresses Hope for Immigration Overhaul by Aamer Madhani, USA Today, November 5, 2013]

Big business would certainly score “a substantive win” from more cheap labor that amnesty historically makes available. But the American people lose.

Two weeks ago in his White House speech, Obama challenged immigration reform opponents to defend their position. Obama said, “So anyone still standing in the way of this bipartisan reform should at least have to explain why.” (Listen to the speech here.)

Okay, I’m game; here’s why I’m “standing in the way.”

Reform as defined in the Senate and House bills, S.744 and H.R. 15, would legalize 11 million illegal immigrants and give them instant work authorization. Once they become legally employable, former aliens can immediately compete with 20 million unemployed or underemployed Americans.

Furthermore, again using Congress’ interpretation of reform, during the next two decades at least 20 million more workers, skilled and unskilled, would come to the United States on non-immigrant visas. Increasing the labor pool by more than 30 million workers within 20 years would devastate unemployed Americans, especially black and Hispanic minorities.

In its annual “State of Working America” chart, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) irrefutably proved that the last thing the labor market needs is more workers. Using statistics from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, EPI analyzed 17 job categories and reviewed them to determine the numbers employed in those fields versus those looking for work. In each of the 17 fields, many more were unemployed than employed.

Here’s a sampling: in construction, more than five times as many unemployed; in retail, hospitality, education and manufacturing, all more than three times unemployed than employed. Job seekers might have better luck in professional and business services where only twice as many are unemployed as there are available jobs. The finance and insurance sector, where a college diploma may be required, has a 1.25 ratio of unemployed to employed.

I’ll put Obama’s question back to him: Given the facts I’ve presented, can you explain why with sustained high U.S. unemployment you still want more immigration which could lead to further American job displacement?