8 months ago

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Demographer Julia Gelatt of the Migration Policy Institute joins us to discuss the likely effects of President Trump's executive orders on immigration.

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What Happens If Trump "seals the border"?

Among Trump's day one executive orders is one just called Securing Our Borders, which promises to build the wall, detain and deport immigrants who violate federal or state law, prosecute illegal border crossers, and obtain "complete operational control" of the border. He also declared a state of emergency and ordered the military to "seal the border" and repel an "invasion." Perhaps most controversial of all, another order claims to end birthright citizenship.

The crackdown is already in full swing, with NBC News reporting a single day record 1,179 immigration arrests this past Sunday. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted pictures of herself overseeing a series of arrests in New York on Tuesday.

Today's guest is going to help us understand the myths and realities of the immigration system at this juncture and offer some suggestions about what pragmatic steps could be taken to reform an immigration system that people on all sides have come to believe just isn't working.

Julia Gelatt is associate director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute, where her research focus is on the legalities of the immigration system, demographic trends, and the interactions between local, state and federal immigration policy.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:56 How did we get here?
03:50 The impact of social media on migration
05:41 What will the short-term effect of Trump's executive orders look like?
10:47 What is life like for someone trying to enter the U.S. through Mexico?
13:16 What is/was the CBP One app?
14:28 Steelmanning the Trumpian case against immigration
25:48 The most common jobs an immigrant takes.
29:16 J.D. Vance's spat with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
36:39 How much money does the government spend to resettle a refugee?
37:23 The failures of New York
44:32 The reality of government assistance
48:31 Immigration, the job market, and fertility rates
56:56 The problems with the current visa system
01:00:43 Bridge visas
01:07:54 Brain Drain?
01:11:01 The future of birthright citizenship
01:16:15 What is a question that you think that more people should be asking?