Media Outlets Fact Check, Call Out Classism And Racism In Cruz's Latest Anti-Immigration Ad

Media outlets are challenging both the substance and form of Ted Cruz's latest anti-immigration ad, calling it out for factual errors as well as racism and classism.

Ted Cruz Releases Anti-Immigration Ad

Ted Cruz Releases New Ad Focusing On Immigration Issues. In a January 5 post for Washington Post's The Fix blog, Aaron Blake reported on Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz's new ad that focuses on immigration issues. As reported by Blake, the ad “features men and women in business attire -- think suits and ties, dress shoes -- streaming across the border” to imply that “the border isn't secure because it isn't in the interest of more well-off Americans”:

Most immigration ads from Republican presidential candidates focus on border security and little else. Think “build the danged fence” from John McCain in 2008.

A new ad from Ted Cruz, though, takes a different tack -- and does so in a matter that is sure to grab attention.

The ad features men and women in business attire -- think suits and ties, dress shoes -- streaming across the border. It features Cruz asking whether the immigration debate would be the same if white-collar professionals like lawyers, bankers and journalists were coming across the border, taking these Americans' jobs and depressing wages.

The very populist implication, of course, is that the border isn't secure because it isn't in the interest of more well-off Americans -- and that Americans who are struggling economically are paying the price. [The Washington Post, The Fix, 1/5/16]

Media Challenge Cruz's Ad For Substantive Errors, Call It “Provocatively Classist And Racist”

Vox's Yglesias: Ad's Claim That Immigration Is An “Economic Calamity” Is “Simply False.” Vox's Matt Yglesias challenged the economic soundness of Cruz's ad in a January 5 article pointing out that “it's simply false that the current rate of immigration to the United States is an economic calamity.” He also noted that with the ad, Cruz is “putting a more acceptable gloss” on Trump's immigration positions “by focusing on economics”:

In the ad, Cruz argues that “if a bunch of people with journalism degrees were coming over and driving down wages in the press, then we would see stories about the economic calamity that has befallen our nation.” This is a joke that features frequently in his stump speech, but overlaid on visuals suggestive of a movie trailer it backs more punch.

[...]

First, it's simply false to say that the current rate of immigration to the United States is an economic calamity. All researchers agree that, on net, the incomes of native-born Americans are higher because of immigration -- not lower. The research dispute is over a purely distributional question. Some researchers find that even though net incomes are higher, the incomes for US-born high school dropouts are lower. Other researchers find that this isn't the case. But either way, immigration is an economic benefit to the nation as a whole, not a calamity.

[...]

All this economics quibbling aside, what's interesting about this is that the emotional heart of anti-immigration politics has always been fear of foreigners rather than economics.

[...]

But the economic argument is considered wonky and respectable in a way that Trump's dark warnings about Mexico sending rapists across the border aren't. What Cruz is doing here, basically, is looking past Trump to a showdown with Marco Rubio in which Cruz is going to want to mobilize Trump's voters (hence the focus on the immigration issue) while putting a more acceptable gloss on the substance by focusing on economics. [Vox, 1/5/16]

Fusion: Cruz's New Ad Is “Provocatively Classist And Racist.” In a January 5 article, Fusion noted that “GOP presidential hopefuls are ratcheting up the ad war to determine who's the toughest -- or perhaps the craziest.” The article went on to condemn the ad for being “provocatively classist and racist”:

GOP presidential hopefuls are ratcheting up the ad war to determine who's the toughest -- or perhaps craziest -- on immigration.

[...]

Cruz seems to be arguing that if people in positions of power felt their jobs were threatened by Mexican immigrants, they would do more to tighten the borders. The whole ad is provocatively classist and racist.

[...]

On his website, Cruz goes more into the details of his “plan to stop illegal immigration.” The candidate proposes building a wall across the U.S.-Mexico border, tripling the number of border patrol agents, adding boots on the ground, and improving aerial surveillance technology. He also calls for an end to Obama's executive actions to protect immigrant families, and the elimination of birthright citizenship. [Fusion, 1/5/16]

NBC News: Spin In Cruz's Anti-Immigration Ad “Leaves Out Some Of The Issue's Complexities” And Ignores The “General Consensus That Immigration Is Beneficial To The Economy.” A January 5 NBC News Latino article explained that Cruz's “spin on [the] immigration argument” omits “some of the issue's complexities.” The article points out that economists have reached a “general consensus that immigration is beneficial to the economy”:

With the ad, which uses a comment he previously made in a November GOP debate, Cruz takes the immigration debate to the economic realm, making the case that immigrants are taking Americans' jobs, primarily blue-collar jobs. But he leaves out some of the issue's complexities with his spin, as campaigns often do.

After years of study, economists have reached general consensus that immigration is beneficial to the economy, but that it has its greatest impact on lower skilled workers. Different effects can be seen in different fields and not only in regard to illegal immigration.

According to a fact sheet written by the Economic Policy Institute, in the long run immigrants do not reduce the employment rates of native-born Americans. But the institute says in the short run, immigration may slightly reduce the rates of unemployment of native born Americans. The impact is greater when the economy is weak. [NBC News, 1/5/16]

Slate Dismantles Cruz's Suggestion That Immigrants Are “Creating” An “Economic Calamity.” In a January 5 article, Slate's Ben Mathis-Lilley calls the ad “a compelling piece of political rhetoric” but noted several flaws with the ad's substantive argument, including the fact that there is “pretty widespread consensus that immigrants of all kings are good for the economy overall”:

It's a compelling piece of political rhetoric. A few facts are worth noting, though:

  • There's a pretty widespread consensus that immigrants of all kinds are good for the economy overall; they do compete with native-born individuals for jobs and have been found to flatten wages for low-income workers, but they also contribute to growth by spending money, providing labor for new and expanding businesses, starting their own new businesses, etc.
  • Wealthy, suit-wearing rich-person types of the sort seen in the commercial actually often bemoan the limited number of H-1B visas available for high-skill immigrants. (Although other suit-wearing types complain that these visas can be abused by companies that bring skilled immigrants here to train them, but then send them back home to work at lower wages while laying off their high-skill U.S. employees.)
  • The U.S. has been continuously increasing its border patrol resources for decades; the number of agents rose by something like 700 percent in the 30 years from 1977 and 2007 (see info here and here). But undocumented immigrants still make it here in massive numbers: In that same 30-year period the number of undocumented immigrants in the country rose from about 1 million to about 12 million. That number has since fallen slightly, but researchers believe that's because of the economic crash rather than anything to do with border enforcement. [Slate, 1/5/16]