Perhaps we should look on the bright side regarding GOP vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance’s latest allegation that illegal immigrants are “one of the most significant drivers of home prices in the country.” At least that ticket has moved on from trumpeting the false claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are eating cats and dogs.
Vance’s statement during his debate with Tim Walz suggests the Trump campaign is doubling down on its calls for the mass deportation of millions of illegal immigrants. It shows that a party that used to promote freer markets and limited government is now committed to zero-sum populist economics.
It is true that more people competing for fewer products can drive up prices. But the drivers of high housing costs are government regulations, fees and no-growth rules that restrict construction. Private developers are perfectly capable of meeting housing demand for everyone who lives here if government would just get out of the way.
Politico interviewed economists who explained home prices and rents surged during the pandemic when immigration reached its lowest level in decades; nearly 90 percent of recent immigrants are renters; and it’s difficult for illegal immigrants to secure and afford mortgages.
Related Articles
State builds in secret with public money
Newsom’s special session is obviously a farce
Port strike shows why we must automate
Endorsements for the November 5, 2024 elections
Endorsement: Nathan Hochman for Los Angeles County District Attorney
Immigration has pushed up rents in some cities, but it’s not a prime cause. As The Washington Post reported, “many immigrants come to the United States with few financial resources and little income. They often double- or triple-up with friends.” Plus Vance greatly exaggerated the number illegal immigrants.
There are valid reasons to debate immigration policy, but it’s wrong to blame immigrants for every conceivable problem to bolster the GOP ticket’s anti-immigration platform. This is the “throw everything against the wall and see what sticks” strategy.
As libertarians, we’ve long argued that immigrants drive economic growth. Springfield is a struggling Rust Belt city. The influx of immigrants caused some problems, but helped revive that community. Let’s not forget that free and easy movement between countries is one of the keys to human freedom – and that the real sources of America’s housing woes are home-grown politicians.