JD Vance Discusses Impact of Illegal Immigration on the Middle Class
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance expressed his concerns over the state of the American middle class, pointing to illegal immigration as a key factor in what he described as its “evisceration.” Speaking in a recent interview, Vance discussed the intersection of immigration, labor, and the housing market, criticizing current immigration policies for displacing American workers and driving wages down.
Vance argued that the housing crisis in the U.S. is exacerbated by a reliance on undocumented workers in construction. “About a third of the construction workforce in this country is Hispanic. Of those, a large proportion are undocumented,” he said. He suggested that the presence of undocumented workers contributes to wage suppression, making it more difficult for American workers to compete in the labor market.
The senator proposed that millions of American workers who have dropped out of the labor force could fill the gaps left by removing undocumented labor. “We have seven million prime-age men who have dropped out of the labor force,” Vance stated. He emphasized that higher wages and better conditions could incentivize these Americans to reenter the workforce, particularly in industries like construction.
Vance also criticized companies that, in his view, rely on undocumented labor at the expense of U.S. workers. “We cannot have an entire American business community that is giving up on American workers and then importing millions of illegal laborers,” he said, linking the issue to broader economic inequality and labor force disengagement.
He further argued that current immigration policies, which he attributes to the Biden administration, have created a system that favors cheaper, undocumented labor over American workers. “It has led to the evisceration of the American middle class,” Vance concluded, calling for a shift in focus toward reengaging American citizens in the workforce.