With Kamala Harris stepping in as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, her policies, particularly on immigration, take centre stage.
The daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, both of whom immigrated to the U.S. during the Civil Rights Movement, Harris’ historic presidential bid has put a spotlight on her stance on immigration.
The US Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects a continued rise in net immigration through 2026, contributing to a larger and younger workforce in the country.
This influx of immigrants, primarily in their prime working years (25-54 years old), is expected to offset the decline in labour force participation due to an ageing population in the US.
The CBO estimates that the rise in immigration in the US will add an average of 0.2 percentage points annually to the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate between 2024 and 2034.
This translates to a projected increase in real GDP of around 2% in 2034 compared to a scenario without significant immigration growth.
One of Harris’ mandates as vice president was to address the root causes of migration from Latin America, like poverty and violence in migrants’ home countries, according to a report by The New York Times.
Last year, she announced $950 million in pledges from private companies to support Central American communities. Similar commitments made previously totalled about $3 billion, says the report.
In 2021, during her visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, Harris said, “This issue cannot be reduced to a political issue. We’re talking about children, we’re talking about families, we are talking about suffering.”
Source : https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/migrate/us-elections-explained-where-does-kamala-harris-stand-on-immigration/articleshow/112097502.cms
