Guy Benson: Immigration Debates Are ‘Robust and Important,’ But Sometimes ‘Unhealthy’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
BOOTHE: “I want to get into the STEM conversation but Elon Musk has made a point, I wouldn’t be here if not for H-1B visas, of course, we want more Elon. But they are not all Elons. Companies have been accused of taking these workers and paying them less undercutting Americans in the process and we’ve also seen Disney previously in 2015, 250 employees were fired and then forced to train foreign counterparts according to news articles so what do you make of it?”
BENSON: “I spent my Christmas avoiding this story on social media because people are yelling at each other. I said I’m going to spend time with my family and do my studying about it later which is what I did today. I am actually pretty sympathetic to both sides of this debate actually. I’m not sure that people see each other eye to eye, they seem to be talking past each other on each end of this. First of all, as we move into a new administration and a new year, the number one discussion over immigration needs to be about illegal immigration, stopping it, and getting dangerous people out of the country. We can have robust and important policy debates, I think it’s healthy that these debates happening although it has manifested in some unhealthy ways which is what the internet does. I think that’s fine but the overwhelming focus needs to be on a point of agreement which is the main promise of Donald Trump which is illegal immigration which doesn’t say that legal immigration is untouchable, we should never talk about it. I just think Elon makes an important point saying look at the value that man has brought to our country, and our economy, and everything, our culture and our politics. That’s a powerful argument for him to make on behalf of these types of visas and this type of immigration but you don’t have to denigrate or demean American workers in the process and I think some people have maybe blurred the line a little bit which is drawing understandable offense as well which is the crux of good important debate, maybe not coming out in the best way in every case.”