Why did Republicans become so opposed to immigration? Hint: It’s not because there’s more nativism.

… The Republican Party has long been the party of both business and nativists. For most of its history, the party’s business wing has reined in the nativists. But aside from a few individual industries, businesses overall are less interested in open immigration — freeing Republican members of Congress to cater to the nativists. It’s not that nativism is increasing; it’s that fewer businesses demand low-skilled immigrants. CONT.

Margaret E. Peters (UCLA), Monkey Cage