The idea the present administration has with shutting down, or severely limiting, immigration is simply madness.
Most Americans are barely reproducing at a rate to replace the existing population of workers. The largest generation in history is either already retired and approaching retirement.
When the Social Security program was initiated in 1935, the average life expectancy was 61 years old. Considering that the average age for retirement has remained consistently around 65, beneficiaries in the early years of the program were receiving payment for a much shorter time.*
The Social Security Dilemma
Javier Escamilla
Poverty & Prejudice: Social Security at the Crossroads
Life expectancy has increased since then, and people are regularly living into their 80s.
When the program started,
there was a ratio of approximately 37 workers for every 1 retiree, it was very feasible that the American work force could provide enough to completely support the program. Today, the ratio of participants in the work force to Social Security beneficiaries has shrunk to less than 3 to I and is expected to decline even further in the next few years. Compounding the problem of decreasing worker to beneficiary ratio has been the increase in the life expectancy of an adult living in the United States. *
We are obviously not producing enough native-born workers to support Americans in retirement for much longer. One of our only viable options is to increase immigration--especially young workers.
It is especially important to make sure Social Security remains funded because fewer people receive any pension from their jobs in retirement. Many Americans have not been able to save enough for retirement even through employee 401K plans--if they are lucky enough to even work somewhere that offers them. A large population of Americans reach retirement with no savings, or assets. The fact is that most retired Americans will live off Social Security benefits alone, and also need to be augmented by SSI, food stamps, housing assistance, and Medicaid programs.
This Is What Life Without Retirement Savings Looks Like
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/ar ... ia/553970/
We shouldn't only limit immigration to highly-educated, highly-skilled workers. One of our biggest challenges in the years ahead will be who will be available to take care of our aging and ill citizens. There are already nursing shortages at a time when the need is growing with each passing year because Americans are living longer, and living more years with illness and infirmity.
Many nursing homes will literally hire anyone off the street whether they have a history of alcoholism, drug-problems, or a criminal past. That dream of letting your aging, chronically-ill, or demented parent live out their days at home is nearly impossible for middle- and working-class Americans. Even if your parent has the funds available, or you do, finding
several people you trust to provide 24-hour, in-home care is difficult. You need more than one person to do it, often three, who will share 8-hour shifts.
If you are white, you better hope your parents aren't racists, because finding a trustworthy. white. Anglo-Saxon in-home-care team will be difficult and costly.
Even if you or your parents have a nest egg for home care, it's very possible to outlive it, and end up in a nursing home paid for by Medicaid. Those nursing homes will require people to do the work. Immigrants have often filled those jobs. Worker shortages drive up what nursing homes must pay to fill the jobs, and that increases the cost of nursing home care.
The primary argument though for immigration is to increase the ratio of workers to retirees paying into Social Security and Medicare.
*
https://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/p ... ialsec.htm
If you are concerned with unskilled immigrants being allowed into the country, then train them as health care aides and nursing home workers, because we need them. In addition for taking care of our aged citizens, they will be paying into Social Security and Medicare as well as all the other taxes people pay while living in the USA.