Looking ahead
Gupta said that in his interactions with the administration on behalf of The Welcoming Center, Shapiro and senior officials in his cabinet have shown a “deep understanding” of “what immigrant integration means to Pennsylvania’s economy going forward,” and have helped The Welcoming Center explore opportunities to expand the impact they’ve had in Philadelphia to other parts of the state.
Gupta explained that many parts of the state have seen “staggering” population decline, and immigration is foundational to revitalizing those towns and their local economies.
A 2023 report from the Brookings Institution found that if there was zero immigration, the U.S. would see a population decline of more than 100 million people between 2022 and 2100.
“Everyone in elected office needs to understand that Pennsylvania is on a population precipice, and if we do not become a place where immigrants are welcome to pursue opportunity, we will see towns and cities in the state disappear,” Gupta said.
According to the American Immigration Council, immigrants contribute more than $13 billion in taxes every year and make up almost 10% of the state’s workforce.
Gupta said Pennsylvania could do a better job with language accessibility, and that there should be an Office of New Pennsylvanians established in the governor’s office, or in the Department of Community and Economic Development.
Gupta said the state should also designate more funding to immigrant economic integration.
“[Immigrants] are the primary pipeline for population stability and growth, and consequently they are the primary pipeline for our workforce not just of tomorrow, but of today,” he said. “We have labor shortages in almost every profession, every category and every industry. You’re not going to fill those unless you embrace immigration, the numbers simply don’t exist.”
Rodriguez agreed that the economic wellbeing of the U.S. is tied to immigration.
“The U.S. without immigration is not going to succeed … The only reason why the country is not worse off is because of immigrants,” he said.
Rodriguez said that for the vice presidential pick, whether it’s Shapiro or another candidate, PICC is advocating for the closure of local detention centers in Pennsylvania and Elizabeth, New Jersey, where on average 35,000 people are detained daily by Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE).
The second request: That the candidate stop supporting immigration bills, such as the Border Security Act, “which fundamentally hurt people seeking asylum,” Rodriguez said.
Gupta said he thinks Shapiro would have the ability to lead on immigration issues at the national level as well.
“The governor is somebody who understands, who prioritizes economic growth,” he said. “And he’s also somebody that has been as probably as effective as you can be in finding bipartisan solutions. I think he could actually be a unique actor to break through the nonsense, and the silos that we have carved out on this issue, politically. Because there is a bipartisan path that goes through the economics of immigration.”
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