by Domenico Maceri * –
SAN LUIS OBISPO (USA). “We don’t reject any kind of immigration… we want to create the safest and most welcoming place in America.” These are the words of Ed Gainey, mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, adding that it does not matter how migrants entered America. Gainey’s welcome is surprising in light of the many negative pressures expressed on migrants by Donald Trump and the Republicans. In recent times, however, high-profile leaders of the Democratic Party have also expressed their concern about the situation on the border with Mexico.
Gainey’s welcome is due in large part to Pittsburgh’s declining population and corporate need for workers. Pittsburgh’s population is around 300,000 but has dropped by 1.3 percent in recent years. The decline would have been 2.7 percent without the arrival of immigrants who make up 9 percent of the current population. With unemployment at historic lows, the city’s companies suffer from worker shortages that prevent them from providing services to their customers. To address this situation, the mayor had recently made preparations with the Red Cross and other charitable agencies to welcome groups of migrants arriving from the Mexican border. Unfortunately for Gainey, no one showed up. The idea of extending the red carpet to migrants had already been put into practice two years ago by Gainey’s predecessor, Bill Peduto, also a Democrat. In fact, during Peduto’s administration, Pittsburgh was named one of 18 communities in America for its hospitality to migrants.
The situation in Pittsburgh is also prevalent throughout the southwestern Pennsylvania area but also in Midwestern cities such as Detroit, Michigan, Dayton, Ohio and others where the demographic decline has created an imbalance between an elderly and young population and at the same time has generated a shortage of workers. This situation prompted the city of Topeka in Kansas to offer 15 thousand dollars to migrants with legal documents to move there. The “Choose Topeka” program requires newcomers to rent or buy homes in the city and have a job with $50,000 in gross income. Funding for the program comes half from the city and half from Topeka businesses.
These migrant-welcoming cities contrast with other metropolises that only recently accepted newcomers sent from conservative states like Florida and Texas but have recently changed their minds. In recent months, for example, the city of New York, under the leadership of Mayor Eric Adams, has suffered from excessive costs for migrants, complaining about the very limited aid from the federal government. After protesting loudly, Adams managed to convince Joe Biden to offer Temporary Protective Status to Venezuelan migrants, which opens the door to work permits for them. It benefits 200 thousand individuals, 60 thousand of whom reside in New York. A breath of fresh air for the Big Apple’s budget because in addition to providing workers to companies it means that they will be able to support themselves economically.
However, the situation on the border with Mexico has worsened and now, in addition to Republicans, voices of Democratic leaders have also expressed their concern. A CBS poll informs us that immigration is the second most important issue after the economy. Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs signed an executive order to send members of the state National Guard to support the federal Border Guard.
Biden acknowledges that the immigration issue could be detrimental to his re-election. So he has few choices except to move to the right. His request for $105 billion to the legislature two months ago includes funds for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan but also for border security. The Senate is considering it but Republicans will push for immigration measures that echo Trump’s harsh policies. The Congressional Latino Caucus, which includes Hispanic lawmakers and senators, has already expressed its reservations. The Senate is on vacation these days but even a probable compromise at the beginning of 2024 would have a difficult time in the House where the former president can count on the almost unanimous support of the Republican majority. Solving the tragic situation of migrants is not part of the Republican strategy that gains politically from the fear created by the new arrivals. Trump’s apocalyptic language recently classifying migrants as a “military invasion” with “drugs, criminals and terrorists… taking over American cities” has sounded the alarm. The former president even echoed Adolf Hitler when he said that migrants “poison the blood” of the country. Pittsburgh’s mayor sees things more realistically with his welcoming of migrants. Perhaps other mayors will raise their voices but in this political climate it seems unlikely.
* Domenico Maceri, PhD, is professor emeritus at Allan Hancock College, Santa Maria, California. Some of his articles have won awards from the National Association of Hispanic Publications.
