Immigration debates in America are often framed around politics, security, and ideology. But in Part 1 of this special two-part episode of 72 & Sunny, Congressman Scott Peters and Todd Schulte focus on a different question:

What would mass deportation actually do to the American economy?

The answer, according to the conversation, is far bigger than many Americans realize.

Throughout the episode, Peters and Schulte unpack the economic role immigrants play across nearly every major sector of the U.S. economy — from agriculture and restaurants to construction, healthcare, logistics, and housing development.

The discussion highlights warnings from economists that large-scale deportation efforts could sharply increase food prices, raise construction costs, worsen labor shortages, and place additional pressure on inflation at a time when many families are already financially stretched.

But the episode also explores the massive expansion of immigration enforcement happening across the country.

From ICE raids and federal deployments to growing detention infrastructure and private prison contracts, the conversation examines how immigration enforcement has evolved into one of the largest and fastest-growing federal operations in America.

Schulte explains how millions of undocumented immigrants have lived and worked in the United States for decades, contributing labor, taxes, and economic activity while remaining trapped inside an outdated immigration system that has not been fundamentally modernized in generations.

The episode also explores:

• How immigrant labor supports key U.S. industries
• Why economists warn mass deportation could increase prices
• The growth of ICE and federal enforcement funding
• Fear spreading through schools and local communities
• The economic consequences of workforce instability
• The role of private detention expansion
• The long-standing failures of immigration reform

At its core, this episode challenges listeners to think about immigration not only as a political issue — but as an economic one.

Because whether Americans realize it or not, immigration policy affects grocery prices, housing supply, labor markets, healthcare access, and the broader stability of the U.S. economy itself.

Part 1 lays the foundation for a deeper conversation about what America’s immigration system has become — and what the future consequences may be if the country continues down its current path.

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