As we know, the U.S. fertility rate has been below the population replacement level for decades. This is true of most of the world’s countries.
In the U.S., most of the population growth is now from inbound immigration.
With U.S. states having below replacement level fertility rates, those states whose population is growing are doing so by attracting both “internal” and “external” immigrants”. Growing states are doing so at the expense of other states that are losing population.
Population growth through internal or external immigration comes with costs – like traffic congestion.
The result is current residents are opposed to further immigration as they see their lives impacted in negative ways.
Consider this public opinion poll from Colorado which finds a majority now opposing inbound migration:
Along with the booming economy, the state’s housing has bloomed to some of the nation’s most unaffordable, its unhoused homeless population tripled, trails and parks have become more crowded than ever before, traffic has become the nation’s 15th most congested, and metro violent crime rates have risen. Colorado has become the nation’s car theft capital, the nation’s cocaine use capital, and one of the states with the highest rise in overdose deaths.
Source: Coloradans want you to stop moving to Colorado | FOX31 Denver
And that is primarily due to domestic migration – not inbound international migration. Twenty-five percent of Colorado’s growth has come from immigration; but most residents want the Federal government to now restrict international immigration even though that is not the cause of their problems.
There is a disconnect between solving labor shortages with immigration and what people are experiencing through crowding. Many people prefer a future, smaller population – but do not seem to connect that with the labor shortage that leads to longer lines at their local coffee shop.
Politically, international migration to address labor shortages will be a very tough sell.
