[philosophty]

I've never met anyone that argued for open borders that wasn't capable of isolating themselves from the negative effects. Like say, a tenured professor like Bryan Caplan.

Open borders might be net-positive but would very predictably devastate the lives of poor people in America. Not that most people who advocate it know anything about being poor.

[NikolaNovak]

Hang on, are we upset that immigrants are taking the jobs of poor people in America?

I thought based on original post we were upset immigrants are taking high paying specialist jobs from the rich techies in San Francisco?

Or are they just just taking all the jobs while miraculously not spending any money and not creating any demand and not participating in economy at all?

I just want to understand this evil scourge appropriately.

P.s. (And oh, boy, will I compete in the "knowing about being poor" with anybody on HN :)

[philosophty]

Poor Americans are the most in need of the opportunity tech jobs provide. That's how they can become non-poor Americans.

Poor Americans are also the most vulnerable to unskilled immigration making them even poorer than they already are.

It's not that complicated.

[prewett]

If they are vulnerable to unskilled immigration, that would imply that they are unskilled themselves. I don't see how they will be able to take advantage "opportunity tech jobs provide"--a highly skilled set of jobs.

I agree that poor Americans are vulnerable to unskilled immigration, but suggesting that highly skilled tech jobs are a solution is just not realistic.

[philosophty]

Many poor people could make it into the middle class by learning to do skilled jobs if given the opportunity.

The number of opportunities is significantly reduced when companies have the easier and cheaper alternative of hiring non-Americans.

And those poor people that don't have the capability to become skilled workers can at least not be kicked while they're down.

[jufter]

> but suggesting that highly skilled tech jobs are a solution is just not realistic.

I went from homeless to six figures thanks to tech.

I think you are missing that tech is one of the few well paying industries that doesn't have socioeconomic gatekeeping with degrees.