Built on Their Backs, Then Tossed Aside: The Cost of Deportation

Mass deportation isn’t just cruel it’s a reckless economic self-sabotage that guts our tax base, cripples industries, and punishes the very people who keep America running.

When we talk about undocumented immigrants in America, the conversation is often hijacked by fear, misinformation, and political theater. But if we strip away the noise and look at the numbers, a very different picture emerges one that shows undocumented immigrants as essential contributors to the U.S. economy, not threats to it.

Let’s start with the tax question. According to the American Immigration Council, undocumented households paid nearly $76 billion in taxes in 2022 alone. That includes federal, state, and local taxes. And they do this despite being ineligible for most public benefits no Medicaid, no Medicare, no Social Security, no food stamps, no housing assistance. In effect, they’re subsidizing the very programs that citizens rely on, while being excluded from them entirely.

Now consider labor. Pew Research Center estimates that 8.3 million undocumented immigrants are part of the U.S. workforce, making up nearly 5% of all workers. They’re disproportionately represented in industries like agriculture, construction, hospitality, and elder care sectors that are already facing labor shortages. In fact, undocumented immigrants are more likely to participate in the labor force than native-born citizens, meaning they’re not just working they’re working harder and more consistently.

Their economic footprint is massive. Undocumented immigrants contribute between $400 and $500 billion to the U.S. GDP annually. Their spending power exceeds $254 billion, and their combined household income is estimated at $330 billion. That money doesn’t sit idle it circulates through local economies, supports small businesses, and drives demand for goods and services.

So what would happen if we pursued mass deportation? The economic consequences would be catastrophic. We’d lose $76 billion in annual tax revenue. We’d erase up to half a trillion dollars from our GDP. We’d remove 8.3 million workers from the labor force, crippling industries that depend on them. And we’d shrink the consumer base, reducing spending and slowing economic growth.

This isn’t theoretical. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that increasing immigration could reduce the federal deficit by nearly $900 billion over the next decade. Deporting millions would do the opposite balloon the deficit, shrink the economy, and destabilize key sectors.

And there’s a social cost too. A weaker economy leads to higher poverty rates. Higher poverty correlates with increased crime. So if the goal is public safety, mass deportation undermines it. It doesn’t make America stronger it makes it more fragile.

Beyond economics, there’s the human toll. Families torn apart. Children left behind. People deported to countries they fled in fear. And let’s be honest: no one chooses to be undocumented. They do it because the legal pathways are broken, slow, and often inaccessible. Being undocumented means no access to loans, no ability to file taxes as a W-2 employee, no safety net. It’s not a loophole it’s a last resort.

So when we talk about immigration policy, we need to ask: are we making decisions based on facts, or fear? Because the facts are clear. Undocumented immigrants are not just part of the American story they’re part of its strength. Removing them doesn’t solve problems. It creates new ones.

If we’re serious about economic growth, public safety, and human dignity, then mass deportation isn’t the answer. Reform is. Recognition is. And above all, truth is.