JD Vance Says Mass Deportation Will Benefit American Workers

Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance has argued that deporting illegal immigrants will benefit the US labor market by encouraging businesses to hire American workers. Vance made his case during an interview with The New York Times, where he explained that deportation would push businesses to fill positions with millions of Americans who have dropped out of the workforce.

When pressed by the reporter about the construction industry, which relies heavily on undocumented workers, Vance pointed out that Americans built homes before illegal immigration became widespread. “Americans built houses back in the 1960s, and they can do so again,” Vance said.

Vance emphasized that the labor force has millions of Americans, particularly men, who have left the job market. He believes that deporting illegal immigrants would provide an opportunity for these Americans to re-enter the workforce. “You absolutely could re-engage folks into the American labor market,” Vance explained.

He also took aim at the current unemployment rate, noting that it doesn’t account for people who have given up looking for work. He highlighted that the labor force participation rate has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. “The unemployment rate does not count labor-force participation dropouts,” Vance said, arguing that the real issue is the number of Americans who have left the workforce entirely.

Vance criticized businesses for relying on illegal labor and paying them under the table. He argued that American workers would take these jobs if they were offered fair wages. “We cannot have an American business community that has given up on American workers,” Vance concluded.