This historical pattern is quite usual though right? Like Singapore did a similar thing. At the outset, before the country is rich, there's not the same incentives to immigrate as later. Price of admission rising as demand increases isn't that surprising.

But again like another commenter mentioned, these arguments never care to address why the people already there would, as a whole, benefit from others coming.

Sure, the state benefits from increase tax receipts, and the corporations benefit from increased labor supply. But all the people as a whole get is increased competition for everything.

So I assume these Cato people are in a class that stands to benefit, and couldn't care less about other classes.