I grew up in a town that was dying—factories closing, young people leaving. Then immigrants moved in and opened shops, started businesses, bought homes. Within a decade, Main Street was alive again. That’s not just my memory; it’s backed by data. Studies from the National Academies show immigration boosts local economies, especially in declining areas. Immigrants start businesses at higher rates than native-born citizens, and they fill critical labor gaps in healthcare, agriculture, and tech. Canada and Australia have points-based systems that work well, proving controlled immigration is a win-win. It’s not about open borders—it’s about smart policy. We can manage this without losing our identity. The evidence is clear: immigration strengthens communities, it doesn’t weaken them. What’s the real risk here?

You're arguing about overcrowded schools and hospitals, but let's look at who's actually working in those hospitals. Immigrants make up nearly a quarter of healthcare workers in the US. Without them, you'd have worse shortages, not better. As for wages, that's more myth than math. The National Bureau of Economic Research found immigration has minimal long-term impact on wages for native-born workers. Immigrants often complement the workforce rather than compete with it. They're more likely to start businesses than native-born citizens, creating jobs for everyone. Your "open borders" strawman isn't the proposal here. Canada and Australia show you can have robust immigration without straining systems. You're framing this as zero-sum, but growing the economy isn't a fixed pie. When new people come, they also bring demand, tax revenue, and innovation.

You're right that infrastructure matters, but that's an argument for better planning, not less immigration. Immigrants pay taxes too, about $330 billion annually in the U.S. That's money for schools and hospitals. The real problem is we've underinvested in public goods for decades, and scapegoating newcomers avoids that conversation. Canada's housing crisis isn't caused by immigration—it's caused by restrictive zoning and slow construction. Vancouver had housing problems long before their points system ramped up. Meanwhile, immigrants are overrepresented in construction trades. They're literally the people who could help build more housing. You say we need to "fix what's broken" first. But that's a permanent delay tactic. We can walk and chew gum. Smart immigration policy and infrastructure investment aren't opposites—they're partners. The working class benefits from both.