In a stern warning shot across the bow of the national immigration debate, billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk took to Twitter today to voice concerns that unchecked immigration could lead to the downfall of America as we know it.
“America will fall if it tries to absorb the world,” Musk tweeted to his 137 million followers. “That is why I am banging the drum so much about this issue.”
America will fall if it tries to absorb the world. That is why I am banging the drum so much about this issue. https://t.co/9MrkJghzx9
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 5, 2024The tweet from the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter itself was in response to a post from conservative commentator Ashley St. Clair, who claimed “Our border is an open border to the world. The asylum laws are being abused to destroy America and the West as we know it.”
Musk’s stark warning quickly went viral, racking up over 7 million views in just a few hours and sparking heated discussion on both sides of the aisle.
For immigration hawks, the comments from one of the world’s most prominent business leaders and wealthiest individuals validated long-held beliefs that current policies are unsustainable. America’s immigration system has been overwhelmed in recent years, with record numbers of migrants arriving at the southern border seeking asylum or attempting to enter the country illegally.
“Finally, a major voice is stepping up and calling out this crisis for what it is – an existential threat to our nation’s stability and identity,” said Dustin Trelawny of the Federation for American Immigration Reform. “When even someone like Elon Musk can see the writing on the wall, you know it’s time to get serious about border security.”
Immigration advocates, meanwhile, pushed back strongly against Musk’s comments, accusing the South African-born entreprenur of insensitivity and fearmongering.
“Using hysterical rhetoric about America ‘falling’ is extremely unhelpful and only stokes unnecessary panic,” said Kathleen Downing of the American Immigration Council. “The reality is that immigration has always been a driving force of economic growth and cultural advancement in this country.”
Musk has been an outspoken critic of what he sees as liberal bias in the immigration system and U.S. media coverage of the border situation. In interviews last year, he expressed frustration with “overcrowding” in areas like the San Francisco Bay Area, which he attributed to excessive immigration.
Whether his latest broadside marks a new chapter in the mogul’s culture war engagement or simply more social media bluster remains to be seen. But one thing is clear – when it comes to immigration, Elon Musk is not staying quiet.