As Americans grapple with the rising cost of living and concerns about economic mobility, former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci argued that economic insecurity is increasingly shaping attitudes toward immigration.

Immigration Or Economics?

The comments come at a time when economic concerns consistently rank among the top issues for American voters, with inflation at its highest level since April 2023 and households continuing to feel the financial strain due to the rising cost of housing, healthcare, education and other essentials.

Scaramucci, in a post on X on Wednesday, argued that immigration debates often become more heated during periods of economic stress, as concerns about affordability and economic opportunity shape public attitudes toward the issue.

“But when you're in decline, when the affordability crisis has you missing mortgage payments, skipping the dentist, watching your kids fall behind where you were at their age, the immigrants become the threat,” Scaramucci said.

Scaramucci added that periods of economic decline fuel a search for scapegoats, with immigrants often bearing the brunt of frustrations because “fear needs somewhere to land.”

My dad was a crane operator, earned union wages, putting in the time, and felt pretty good about himself.

He wasn't Jeff Bezos, but his kids were going to do better than him.

That was the deal in the US and he believed in it.

When you feel that way, you're basically agnostic… pic.twitter.com/KESKXMY6LH

— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) June 10, 2026

That’s Not Racism. That’s Economics.

As households face a bruising mix of elevated interest rates and an ongoing housing affordability crisis, Scaramucci argued that anti-immigrant sentiment is frequently a byproduct of personal economic panic rather than racism.

“That’s not racism. That’s economics,” Scaramucci said.

He added that addressing affordability and restoring economic mobility would do more to ease tensions surrounding immigration, saying that if policymakers “fix the economics and you fix a lot of the rest.”

The comments come as immigration remains one of the defining political issues of Donald Trump‘s presidency, with the administration making border security, deportations and immigration enforcement central pillars of its agenda.

The debate has unfolded alongside persistent concerns about affordability, inflation and the cost of living, issues that consistently rank among voters’ top priorities ahead of the November mid-term elections.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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