Three Separate Assessments Make Clear: Mass Deportation is an Economic Catastrophe for Americans

Vanessa Cárdenas: mass deportation crusade isn’t just terrorizing communities and trampling on Americans’ rights, but also threatens key American industries, harms American families’ economic security and stymies economic growth

Access online version of this press release HERE

Washington, DC — Three recent economic analyses, from both inside the Trump administration and from outside experts, drive home the reality that mass deportation is disastrous for the U.S. economy, our key industries, and Americans’ economic security.

• National Foundation for American Policy analysis: Trump mass deportations and legal immigration restrictions to eliminate U.S. jobs and lower economic growth. As covered by outlets such as Axios and Fortune, a new NFAP policy brief, “The Economic Impact of the Trump Administration’s Immigration Policies,” finds that the array of Trump immigration policies – both reducing legal immigration options and pursuing mass deportations – will “reduce the projected number of workers in the United States by 6.8 million by 2028 and by 15.7 million by 2035 and lower the annual rate of economic growth by almost one-third, harming U.S. living standards.”

• Trump’s own Department of Labor: immigration crackdown risks ‘supply shock-induced food shortages’ and higher food prices for American families. As scooped by the American Prospect and further explored by the Washington Post and others, the Department of Labor recently detailed in the official Federal Register that the administration’s immigration crackdown risks ‘supply shock-induced food shortages’ due to the absence of essential and largely immigrant agriculture workers, which portends even higher food prices for American families.

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce calls for immigration reform, including addressing legal status of longtime undocumented workers: In “The Border is Secure. A Worker Shortage Means Our Economy Isn’t. Let’s Fix it,” Neil Bradley, Executive Vice President, Chief Policy Officer, and Head of Strategic Advocacy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce highlights the dangers of potential worker shortages for the U.S. economy and calls for broader immigration reforms. As the brief notes: “A common misperception is that legal immigrants compete with American workers for scarce jobs. The reality, however, is that legal immigrants help grow the economy and support more job creation at higher wages. High-skilled workers on H-1B visas contribute to the growth of companies, which creates more jobs for everyone. And seasonal and agricultural workers help keep our farms, construction sites, and hospitality businesses up and running … Congress must also resolve the status of longtime workers in the United States who originally entered illegally but have not committed any other crimes. Policymakers must find a reasonable path forward for those individuals who have been contributing to our economy and our communities in some cases for decades now.”

According to Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice:

“The mass deportation crusade is doing more than just terrorizing communities and trampling on the constitutional rights of all Americans. This chaotic assault also threatens the economic security of American families and the future vitality and outlook of our entire economy. The business sector needs to step up and not sit idly by and demand a solution-oriented agenda that strengthens our economy. We must find a better way than the chaos and cruelty on display.”

Watch a recent virtual event convened by America’s Voice on mass deportation’s costs to key American industries and their workforce. Read the post event release here