How Immigration Drives U.S. Economic Growth
The Financial Truth About Immigration and Its Impact on the U.S. Economy.
I’ve been doing some research, and I’m just amazed at how much disinformation there is, especially when it would take someone literally 30 seconds to figure out if something’s true or not. With all the talk about ICE raids, the amount of bad information, like the idea that immigrants can receive federal benefits like Medicaid, is through the roof. Here’s a simple question to ponder: if someone is here illegally, how can they obtain a Social Security number to access federal benefits?
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FWD.us
I’d like to talk about an organization called FWD.us. It’s a 501(c)(4) immigration and criminal justice advocacy group headquartered in the U.S. They’re described as bipartisan, and I’ve checked multiple sources, but Wikipedia does a good job of condensing it. They include both Republicans and Democrats, though they are backed by liberal-leaning tech CEOs and investors. Interestingly, Mark Zuckerberg, whom I don’t really consider liberal, wrote an op-ed at their launch. Their goals are pretty clear:
Immigration reform includes advocating for improved border security. And yes, we all want to be safe. To say that the left wants criminals in the U.S. is absurd and defies common sense.
An immigration policy that favors attracting extremely talented, hardworking people. We want the best, but they’re going to other countries because they’re afraid to come here. I can’t say I don’t blame them.
A path to citizenship for current and prospective immigrants, including those who are here illegally.
An improved employment verification system, though not necessarily through E-Verify. I’ve always said, if you want to fix the immigration issue, go after the employers. Fine them $10,000 to $25,000 per person for hiring illegals, and you’d see how fast illegal immigration stops.
The Positive Impact of Immigration
I’ve looked at the Congress.gov website, and they have some compelling “immigration facts” about the positive impact of immigration. Here are the main points:
Immigrants and immigration are good for the country, our communities, and our economy. Restricting legal immigration, as President Trump’s executive order did, severely limits our ability to respond to public health and economic crises like coronavirus. We can’t afford to shut down the life-saving contributions immigrants bring.
Let’s review some of the common myths:
Myth: Immigration hurts American workers. People say immigrants take jobs from Americans and drive wages down.
This is false. Immigrants are highly entrepreneurial, launching new companies at twice the rate of native-born Americans, which creates a ton of jobs. This increases employment opportunities for native-born Americans, boosts wages, and strengthens the middle class. Research shows immigrants complement, rather than compete with, American workers because they have different skill sets. The U.S. economy is dynamic, not zero-sum.
Myth: Immigrants are a drain on the U.S. economy. People think reducing immigration will make our economy stronger.
Fact: The U.S. needs immigrants to stay competitive and drive economic growth, especially as our economy reopens. Individuals who create jobs are critical to our recovery. Immigrants are innovators, job creators, and consumers with enormous spending power. They create employment opportunities for all Americans and add $2 trillion to the U.S. GDP.
This data is from after the coronavirus pandemic, but it hasn’t magically changed in the last three to five years; these are myths that have been perpetuated for decades without proof.
Myth: Immigrants are poorly educated and have no skills.
Fact: Immigrants tend to be well-educated and skilled. 43% of recently arrived family and diversity-based immigrants are college graduates, compared to 29% of native-born Americans. More than half of the degrees awarded by U.S. universities go to international students. I’ve written about how much international students contribute to the economy, something like $40 billion a year.
And here’s the catch: if they stay, they continue to contribute by renting homes, buying cars, starting families, spending money, and paying taxes, all generating more revenue. It’s that simple.
Myth: Immigrants burden essential services like schools, hospitals, and highways.
Fact: Immigrants make significant contributions to our economy on virtually every front, including tax revenue. They contributed $458 billion to state, local, and federal taxes in 2018.
People don’t seem to understand that they pay taxes. When immigrants file their paperwork for adjustment of status, they prove how long they’ve been here based on their work and taxes. They absolutely file taxes. Guess who doesn’t pay taxes? The guy in the White House.
Myth: The U.S. doesn’t need more immigrants, and Americans want to see a reduction in immigration.
This is interesting. Americans actually want more immigration, not less. 75% of Americans oppose making cuts to our legal immigration system, and three-quarters say immigration is good for the U.S.
As our population ages, immigrants and their families are crucial for the economy. The Census projects the 65 and older population will nearly double by 2050, reducing our workforce. However, 79% of immigrants in the U.S. are of working age, compared to 61% of their native-born counterparts.
All the studies out there about President Trump’s immigration policy and Stephen Miller don’t address the fact that immigrants aren’t a drain on the system, which contradicts the common belief that they’re all out there getting benefits. In 2025, people still don’t know how to use Google when they need it, or, doesn’t fit their narrative.
Myth: American businesses use work visas to underpay immigrant workers and replace American workers.
Fact: Many U.S. companies hire foreign-born professionals to supplement the workforce using a mix of permanent employment-based visas (Green Cards) and temporary visas like H2A for agricultural workers and H1B for highly skilled specialty workers. Even the guy in the White House has immigrants working at his hotel.
Myth: International students take jobs away from Americans.
Fact: International students make countless contributions to campuses across the country. Their entrepreneurial spirit, innovative skills, and spending power contribute to the American economy.
They spend billions as consumers and frequently pay high tuition rates, which actually subsidize domestic students by keeping tuition costs down. So, getting rid of foreign students, even for something like writing an article for a school newspaper, is bad for the economy. Who would’ve thought?
Myth: Deporting as many undocumented immigrants as possible is good for the American economy.
Fact: Beyond the staggering moral and far-reaching trauma of separating millions of American families, mass deportation of 11 million people would impoverish many American families and create enormous social costs. It would hit the economy with nearly an $8 trillion loss over 14 years and jeopardize our housing market.
Trump’s solution is to destroy 265 million acres of federal land to reduce lumber costs, but then the people who build the homes aren’t here. Just look at social media; there are empty construction sites everywhere.
Myth: Providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants would hurt American workers.
Fact: Providing a pathway to citizenship for roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. would actually increase their wages and their spending power. Critical thinking, right? The more you make, the more you spend. It’s really that simple.
Myth: Dreamers are a drain on the economy.
Fact: Dreamers have built their lives here; they’re Americans in every way but on paper. They make enormous economic contributions. More than 89% of DACA recipients are either employed or boost the U.S. economy through spending and tax dollars. 200,000 DACA recipients are in essential frontline roles during the coronavirus pandemic, with 40,000 as healthcare workers. Deporting Dreamers would tear apart families and even cost more lives.
Myth: Resettling refugees in the U.S. is too expensive.
Fact: The U.S. has been a welcoming safe haven, and our country is better for it. Refugees are important contributors to the U.S. economy. Investing $1 in helping refugees get settled can yield almost twice as much in economic benefit, similar to how USAID works.
I’ll put all this information in the description so you can read it yourself; it’s about five or six pages long. But there you have it. It’s 2025, and we’re still believing all this nonsense.
People might tell you there’s no constitutional crisis, but federalizing the National Guard is a major issue. We’re seeing Black Hawk helicopters flying over agricultural fields. Is that the vibe you want? “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”
Say what you want about immigrants, but as I like to say, ignorance is voluntary. By the way, I’m the son of two immigrant parents, and I think I’ve contributed to society. No one denies that. Do you want to throw out everyone who’s committed serious crimes? Absolutely. Who has an issue with that? Nobody wants a crazy criminal living next door; it’s common sense.
Should we deport someone for a misdemeanor trespassing 15 years ago? Probably not. That’s a joke of a charge. And this idea of “resisting arrest with violence” just because you touched a hair on law enforcement when you said you weren’t going to jail and pulled away, that’s just a BS charge.
Do your research. The information is literally at your fingertips. You don’t have to go to the library anymore. You can look things up on your phone. So, before you regurgitate fake information or post something untrue, if you’re doing it on purpose just to push an agenda, I guess that’s your right under the First Amendment. But it doesn’t help the cause. You wouldn’t like it if someone were lying about you, right? Not to mention that pushing lies says a lot about you.
Just take 10 seconds to do your research. I’ve always said if I’m wrong, post the contradiction. I don’t mind correction or learning new things. It’s when you have a closed mind and just repeat what you hear that you become a sheep.
The link will be posted below, and I’m sure you can find other studies that might contradict what I just said, but that’s the point of reading: to be informed.
Take care, be safe, and know your rights. If ICE approaches you, you don’t have to answer their questions. I’ve heard stories and known people who’ve been detained where ICE asked for proof of citizenship. Who carries their passport around? I carry my license. Look up reasonable suspicion and probable cause. You don’t have to talk to them. It’s that simple.
The full PDF can be read via this link.
Take care, everybody, be safe, and know your rights.
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