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[Podcast Episode] Immigrants Are Not the Problem—They’re the Promise · Uncensored Objection

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: OK, so you shared this really interesting article with us.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_01: It's from Attorney Mitch Jackson's Substack, Uncensored Objection.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: That's the one.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_01: And it's giving us a look at the political scene in 2025.
• 0:12
  So,
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  you know,
• 0:13
  President Trump is in office and it's focusing specifically on immigration.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: A topic that's, well, always pretty charged, isn't it?
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
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  So our plan today is really to unpack the arguments that are
• 0:25
  laid out in that piece.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_01: Get to the heart of what it's saying about immigration right now.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: Sounds good.
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  We need to look at the history,
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  why people immigrate,
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  you know,
• 0:34
  the whole picture.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_01: We'll touch on the history,
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_01: the reasons people come here then and now,
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: how the actual process has changed,
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_01: what immigrants contribute and also tackle some of those myths,
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_01: especially around crime.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that crime myth is a big one.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's important to get the facts straight on that.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: The article really digs into the data.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_01: OK, let's start with the foundation.
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  The article argues pretty strongly that America is
• 0:58
  fundamentally a nation built by immigrants.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's not a new thing.
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  SPEAKER_01: It goes way back to the earliest settlers even.
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  And then you think about the huge projects like the
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  transcontinental railroads out
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: by immigrant labor.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: And that statistic,
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  the article mentioned something like 40 percent of Americans
• 1:15
  tracing routes back to
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  SPEAKER_00: Ellis Island.
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  SPEAKER_00: That's huge.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: It really is.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: It makes you think about E Pluribus Unum.
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  SPEAKER_00: Out of many, one.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the national motto itself kind of points to this idea, doesn't it?
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  That it was always supposed to be about bringing different
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  people together.
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  SPEAKER_01: So why did people come then versus now?
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  SPEAKER_01: The article draws some parallels but also distinctions.
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  SPEAKER_00: Well,
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  SPEAKER_00: back then,
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  SPEAKER_00: you had really dire situations,
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  SPEAKER_00: like escaping religious persecution was a big one.
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  SPEAKER_01: Or famine, like the Irish potato famine.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: Or, you know, poverty and violence in Eastern Europe, Italy, Poland.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, basic survival and safety were huge drivers.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: And today,
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  the article points to things like extreme gang violence in
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  Central America,
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  SPEAKER_00: Honduras,
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  SPEAKER_00: El Salvador.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: Places where sometimes past U.S.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_01: policy might even play a role in the instability, right?
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: The article certainly suggests looking at those complex roots.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
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  And then there's displacement from war and increasingly climate
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  change forcing people out.
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  SPEAKER_01: So the specific causes shift,
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  SPEAKER_01: but that core desire for safety,
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  SPEAKER_01: for chance,
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  SPEAKER_01: for freedom,
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  SPEAKER_01: that seems constant.
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  SPEAKER_00: It really does.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's that fundamental human drive.
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  SPEAKER_01: Which brings us to this common argument you hear.
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  SPEAKER_01: Why don't they just come the right way?
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  SPEAKER_01: The article really pushes back on that.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah,
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  SPEAKER_00: it contrasts how things worked,
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  SPEAKER_00: say,
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: at Ellis Island in the early 1900s with today's system.
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  Like in 1907,
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  you mentioned many Europeans didn't need passports or visas.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: They just showed up.
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  SPEAKER_00: Pretty much for many groups.
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  There weren't numerical quotas for Europeans in the way we
• 2:46
  think of them now.
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  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, it wasn't open for everyone.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Chinese Exclusion Act is a stark reminder of that.
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  SPEAKER_00: Right.
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  But for a lot of the ancestors of people here today,
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  the right way was just arriving.
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  SPEAKER_00: The current system with its layers of laws, quotas, backlogs.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's just a different world.
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  SPEAKER_01: It makes you wonder,
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  like the article implies how many of our own great grandparents
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  would even qualify today.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's a sobering question, definitely.
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  So the reality of legal immigration in 2025,
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  according to the article,
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  it's tough,
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  really tough.
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  SPEAKER_00: Extremely difficult for many.
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  SPEAKER_00: The piece paints a picture where,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  if you're a poor farmer fleeing violence or an unskilled worker
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  just looking for a job.
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  SPEAKER_00: There often isn't a clear legal path.
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  SPEAKER_01: The system isn't really designed for those situations?
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  SPEAKER_00: Not easily.
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  SPEAKER_00: Employment-based green cards,
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  SPEAKER_00: they tend to focus on high-skill professions,
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  SPEAKER_00: specialized degrees,
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  SPEAKER_00: and family-based immigration.
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  SPEAKER_00: The waits can be incredibly long.
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  We're talking years,
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  sometimes decades,
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  depending on the category and country.
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  SPEAKER_01: Decades.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
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  SPEAKER_01: That's families separated for huge chunks of their lives.
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  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
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  SPEAKER_00: And then there's asylum.
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  The article touches on how policies like Remain in Mexico or
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  those pandemic era
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  SPEAKER_00: expulsions created massive hurdles and long waits just for a hearing.
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  SPEAKER_01: So it's a very restrictive picture overall.
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  SPEAKER_00: It seems that way based on the arguments presented here.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
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  SPEAKER_01: But OK, let's shift gears.
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  SPEAKER_01: The article doesn't just focus on the difficulties.
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  SPEAKER_01: It also makes a strong case for the benefits immigrants bring.
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  SPEAKER_01: It lists about five key areas.
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  SPEAKER_00: Right.
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  SPEAKER_00: First up is entrepreneurship.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
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  Immigrants starting businesses at high rates,
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  everything from local shops to major tech firms.
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  SPEAKER_00: And creating jobs for everyone else in the process.
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  SPEAKER_00: That's a huge economic contribution.
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  SPEAKER_01: Then there's innovation.
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  SPEAKER_00: Uh-huh.
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  SPEAKER_00: Immigrants are heavily involved in science,
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  SPEAKER_00: tech,
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  SPEAKER_00: medicine,
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  SPEAKER_00: driving breakthroughs,
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  SPEAKER_00: getting patents,
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  SPEAKER_00: leading research.
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  SPEAKER_00: It helps keep the U.S.
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  SPEAKER_00: competitive.
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  SPEAKER_01: And number three, filling labor gaps.
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  SPEAKER_01: This seems crucial.
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  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
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  Think about sectors like agriculture,
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  health care,
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  construction,
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  hospitality.
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  Immigrants often do jobs where there are shortages of
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  native-born workers.
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  SPEAKER_01: So they're not necessarily taking jobs, but filling needed roles.
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  SPEAKER_00: That's the argument the article makes.
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  SPEAKER_00: They complement the existing workforce, which ties into the fourth point.
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  SPEAKER_00: Overall economic growth.
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  SPEAKER_01: How so?
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  SPEAKER_00: Well,
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  SPEAKER_00: immigrants spend money,
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  SPEAKER_00: they pay taxes,
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  SPEAKER_00: sales tax,
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  SPEAKER_00: property tax,
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  SPEAKER_00: income tax,
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  even undocumented immigrants often pay into systems like Social
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  Security they may
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: never benefit from.
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  SPEAKER_00: It all adds to the GDP.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, that makes sense.
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  SPEAKER_01: And the fifth point?
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  SPEAKER_00: Cultural enrichment, which is maybe harder to measure but still vital.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_01: You mean languages, food, music, traditions?
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
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  That diversity,
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  the different perspectives,
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  the strong community values the article mentions.
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  It revitalizes neighborhoods and just makes society more,
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  well,
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  interesting and dynamic.
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  SPEAKER_01: It constantly reshapes what it means to be American in a way.
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  SPEAKER_00: I think that's a good way to put it.
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  SPEAKER_01: Now, we have to talk about the crime issue.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
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  SPEAKER_01: Because that narrative is out there and it's powerful.
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  SPEAKER_01: The article confronts it directly.
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  SPEAKER_00: And refutes it very clearly.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
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  SPEAKER_00: It states unequivocally that research,
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  SPEAKER_00: data,
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  it all shows immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than
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  native born citizens.
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  SPEAKER_01: Lower rates, including undocumented immigrants.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yes, including undocumented immigrants.
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  SPEAKER_00: The article mentions specific studies like from Texas to track this.
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  And nationally,
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  crime rates often went down even as the immigrant population grew.
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  SPEAKER_01: So where does the immigrant criminal idea come from?
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  SPEAKER_00: The article frames it as basically a xenophobic trope,
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  SPEAKER_00: a falsehood used for political gain to stir up fear.
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  It points out that immigrants often avoid any trouble because
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  their status is precarious.
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  SPEAKER_00: And sadly, they can be targets of crime themselves.
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  SPEAKER_01: It's crucial to rely on the actual data there, not just rhetoric.
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  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely critical.
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  SPEAKER_00: The facts just don't support the fear narrative.
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  SPEAKER_01: OK,
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  SPEAKER_01: so given all this,
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  SPEAKER_01: the history,
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  SPEAKER_01: the realities,
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  SPEAKER_01: the benefits,
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  SPEAKER_01: the myths,
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  SPEAKER_01: what does the article suggest as a path forward?
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: It advocates for reform, right?
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  SPEAKER_00: Definitely.
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  SPEAKER_00: Humane reform.
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  That includes things like finding a way for undocumented
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  immigrants already here,
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  SPEAKER_00: working,
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  SPEAKER_00: contributing to earn legal status,
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  SPEAKER_00: or roadmap to citizenship.
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  SPEAKER_01: And for future immigration.
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  Expanding legal pathways,
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  more options for work visas,
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  maybe modernizing the asylum system.
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  SPEAKER_00: The article mentions ideas like
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  SPEAKER_00: processing centers abroad, faster decisions.
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  SPEAKER_01: And clearing those family reunification backlogs we talked about.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
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  SPEAKER_00: Reducing those incredibly long waits.
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  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
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  SPEAKER_00: The focus is on making the legal system actually workable and fair.
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  SPEAKER_01: The piece also mentions longer term ideas.
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  SPEAKER_01: Like open borders.
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  SPEAKER_00: It brings it up as maybe a longer term vision,
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  SPEAKER_00: drawing a parallel to historical periods when U.S.
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  SPEAKER_00: borders are more open or how people move freely between states now.
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  SPEAKER_00: But more immediately,
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  SPEAKER_00: it suggests steps like demilitarizing the border,
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  focusing enforcement on actual security threats like
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  trafficking or terrorism,
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  rather than just migrants seeking asylum or work and ensuring
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  due process and
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  SPEAKER_00: humane treatment for everyone encountered.
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  SPEAKER_01: Any specific policy ideas mentioned?
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  Things like community-based case management for asylum seekers
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  instead of detention,
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  getting work permits out faster for people waiting for their
• 7:57
  cases to be heard,
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  SPEAKER_00: practical,
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  SPEAKER_00: humane steps.
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  This is where the article by Mitch Jackson really lays out a
• 8:04
  concrete vision.
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  SPEAKER_01: And it also talks about the root causes, right?
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  SPEAKER_01: Why people leave their home countries in the first place.
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  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: The need for foreign policy that supports stability,
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  SPEAKER_00: development,
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  SPEAKER_00: anti-corruption efforts in those countries,
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: tackling climate change impacts,
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  SPEAKER_00: working with other countries on regional migration challenges.
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  SPEAKER_01: It's a comprehensive approach.
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  SPEAKER_00: It tries to be.
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  SPEAKER_00: And it contrasts this with some recent policies.
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  SPEAKER_01: Like the Magier era policies.
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  The article mentions the travel ban,
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  attempts to end DACA,
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  family separations.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yeah,
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  SPEAKER_00: it condemns those actions pretty strongly,
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  framing them as representing sort of darker impulses and
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  calling for safeguards
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  SPEAKER_00: against repeating them.
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  It presents immigration policy as a fundamental choice about
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  the kind of country
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  SPEAKER_00: America wants to be.
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  SPEAKER_01: So wrapping this up,
• 8:47
  the core message from this piece seems to be that immigrants
• 8:50
  are more of a promise
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  SPEAKER_01: than a problem.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: I think that sums it up well,
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  SPEAKER_00: that the history,
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  SPEAKER_00: the facts,
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  SPEAKER_00: they just contradict the anti-immigrant narratives we often hear.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_01: And that rejecting immigrants,
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  SPEAKER_01: as Mitch Jackson argues in the article,
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  SPEAKER_01: is like America rejecting its own founding principles.
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  SPEAKER_00: Pretty much.
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  That aligning our policies with values like freedom and justice
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  is essential for
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: the country's future.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's about choosing reality over fear.
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  SPEAKER_01: And supporting policies that are actually humane and workable.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_01: And maybe educating ourselves and others on these facts.
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  SPEAKER_00: Definitely.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: And remembering that for so many Americans, this isn't an abstract issue.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's their family history.
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  SPEAKER_01: So the final thought the article leaves us with, it's provocative.
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  It asks us to consider how embracing a more humane immigration
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  system wouldn't just
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  SPEAKER_01: benefit the newcomers.
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  but could actually strengthen America's own moral standing and
• 9:41
  maybe even its
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: long-term prosperity.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's something to really think about.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_01: It absolutely is.
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  And for anyone listening who wants to read this perspective for
• 9:48
  themselves and dig
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_01: deeper into these arguments,
• 9:51
  we strongly recommend checking out Attorney Mitch Jackson's
• 9:55
  Uncensored Objections Substack.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah,
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: you can subscribe there,
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: share the articles if they resonate with you,
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: and even join the discussion in the comments.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's a valuable contribution to the conversation.