‘For The Culture’ Author Calls Out ‘Material Impact’ Illegal Immigration Has On Black Community

Author Marcus Collins said a “scarcity mindset” is creating gradual tension between the Black community and incoming migrants.

Author Marcus Collins said a “scarcity mindset” is creating gradual tension between the Black community and incoming immigrants.

In the last year, the U.S. has seen a continued surge of migrants crossing the United States-Mexico border that has created an outcry throughout the country due to how it is overwhelming already-stretched resources.

In the past year, the southern U.S. border witnessed an unprecedented influx of people. Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection reveals that federal agents encountered approximately 2.5 million migrants at the southern border in 2023, NPR reports.

All the while, major U.S. cities such as Chicago, Denver, and New York City face ongoing challenges in accommodating tens of thousands of migrants, a significant portion of whom are impoverished and lack connections in the U.S. Last month, the Democratic mayors of these cities issued a warning emphasizing that without additional federal assistance, they may soon be unable to accommodate more migrants, according to CBS News.

It’s when looking at the communities that are already impoverished and lacking resources in the U.S, an influx of migrants can be seen as a bigger hindrance, Collins told Fox News.

“We know oppression in this country 1,000%. And when we see others who are experiencing that oppression there’s a level of empathy,” Collins said. “On the other hand, there’s a scarcity mindset. It’s like ‘I feel you but hey, man, you got to wait in line.”

The For The Culture author believes this “scarcity mindset” is at the root of a brewing divide between impoverished Black communities and incoming migrants. Collins cites the “material impact” immigration is having on Black culture.

“I think we can start to think about illegal immigration. It creates a new frame by which we think about this influx and the question is, ‘Do they have a right to what people who are already here have?”

Collins said the migrant crisis is further complicating the lack of resources impacting impoverished communities, many of which contain high populations of Black Americans. In turn, it’s creating “tension” due to the scarcity mindset it fuels as the migrant crisis grows.

“When we look at it as a mindset of scarcity, that’s when the tensions arise,” Collins explained.

Last month, White House spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández announced the Biden administration had 10,000 migrants in applying for work permits. They expedited the review of applications and approved millions of dollars in funds for communities that are receiving new arrivals.

On Jan. 1, California approved free healthcare for all undocumented immigrants, regardless of age. It falls under the Medi-Cal plan, California’s version of the federal Medicaid program for people with low incomes, via ABC News.