Why Labor and Migration Are Tearing the U.S. Apart

By David and Amber Lapp* The recent events in Los Angeles and President Trump’s recent comments to develop a “temporary pass” for undocumented migrants working in certain industries (like farms) have once again turned the spotlight on a battleground for understanding our country’s divisions: the deep social fracture caused by migration and labor issues. We recently addressed this issue at a gathering organized by the nonpartisan group Braver Angels, which promotes dialogue across ideological divides. Around the same table, we brought together eight Americans — four progressives and four conservatives — with one goal: to explore differences and possible common ground about how immigration affects America’s working class. The conversation stems from the awareness that the migration issue — in America as elsewhere — touches a raw nerve: that ...