NPR’s Garsd on OH Migrant Surge: Immigration ‘Good for the Economy’ But ‘Can Be Rocky’ for ‘First Few Years’

On Monday’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” NPR Immigration Correspondent and podcast host Jasmine Garsd reported on the migrant influx in Springfield, Ohio “immigration, in the long run, is good for the economy.” But “It’s the first few years that can be rocky.” And that while “Immigration could be the gift this Midwestern town needs. The looming question is, can they afford it, and will they accept it?”

Garsd played clips from her conversations with various locals, including the city’s Mayor, Robert Rue, who said [relevant remarks begin around 3:30] that the community is “being overwhelmed.” And “The speed [at] which we have experienced this growth is what we’re concerned about and why we say we need help from the government.” She also spoke to a business owner who stated that the migrants have helped fill jobs.

At the end of the report, she stated, “Experts say immigration, in the long run, is good for the economy. It’s the first few years that can be rocky. And that’s the crossroads Springfield finds itself at. Immigration could be the gift this Midwestern town needs. The looming question is, can they afford it, and will they accept it?”

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