Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers sparked debate last week by suggesting that the U.S. economy is dependent on undocumented labor. Evers went so far as to claim that Wisconsin’s economy “will be gone” without it. On Chicago’s Morning Answer, author and commentator Adam B. Coleman dismissed those arguments as political doublespeak that harms American workers.
Coleman, founder of Wrong Speak Publishing and author of The Children We Left Behind, said that politicians are no longer hiding their reliance on illegal labor. He argued that businesses knowingly hire undocumented workers to undercut wages, avoiding taxes and workplace protections. “They’re taking jobs Americans want to do,” Coleman said, pointing to warehouses in New Jersey that recruit almost exclusively from immigrant-heavy neighborhoods where a large share of residents are undocumented.
Proft pressed Coleman on persistent labor shortages in industries like agriculture and manufacturing, where companies say they struggle to hire Americans. Coleman acknowledged the gaps but argued that long-term cultural and policy failures—like abandoning vocational training in schools—are to blame. “Not every kid needs to go to college,” he said. “We used to prepare young people for trades. Instead, we’ve told Gen Z they’re failures if they don’t get a six-figure desk job.”
Both Proft and Coleman criticized sanctuary-state policies in Illinois and New Jersey, which provide healthcare, education, and other benefits to undocumented immigrants while poverty among citizens, particularly Black residents in cities like Chicago, remains high. Coleman stressed that illegal immigration is not a “victimless crime,” noting widespread use of fake IDs, fraudulent licenses, and under-the-table hiring schemes. He cited a recent Florida sting operation that uncovered immigrants cheating on commercial driver’s license exams with the help of corrupt intermediaries.
Coleman argued that meaningful reform requires targeting employers as much as individuals. He called for strict penalties—including the potential closure of businesses caught hiring illegal labor—to deter widespread violations. “If your business goes under because you’re breaking the law, no one’s going to take that risk,” he said.
As the immigration debate intensifies, Coleman urged Americans to look beyond short-term labor demands and consider the long-term social and cultural costs of unchecked illegal immigration. “Enforce the laws we already have,” he said. “Change the culture, and stop pretending this is the only way America can survive.”