Filling in the Gaps: What We Know About Immigration

Immigration raises many questions. With the immigration debate heating up and localities around the country considering measures aimed at undocumented immigrants (including Louisville), we can draw from our rich immigration history and current facts for answers.

According to Ron Crouch of the Kentucky State Data Center, the United States is one of three developed countries with population growth. The reason for this population growth is immigration. Without the influx of immigrants, the U.S. would face a population decline crisis and all that this entails.

Kentucky is not so lucky. The current fertility rate in Kentucky is 1.95, below the replacement rate of 2.10. Indeed, Kentucky’s population is in decline and rapidly aging. With this in mind, let’s address some concerns.

Are we allowing too many immigrants into the country? According to the U.S. Census the current percentage of the U.S. population that is foreign-born is about 11.5%; 100 years ago it was about 15%, 30% higher than today.

Aren’t most immigrants here illegally? The vast majority (75%) of immigrants are in the U.S. with documents. Undocumented immigrants, those who enter the country without appropriate immigration papers or overstay their visa, make up the other 25%.

Immigration is bad for our economy and the US workforce. According to the National Immigration Law Center, “new immigrants contributed at least 67% of the growth in the civilian labor force over the past 3 years, exceeding their contribution to the labor force in the 1990s, which was a historical high for the U.S.” This analysis found that the flux in employment rates for native-born U.S. citizens is not caused by growth in immigrant workers. Despite fears, immigrants are not taking jobs from native-born U.S. citizens.

The National Immigration Forum cites the Brookings Institute in stating that the “largest wave of immigration to the U.S. since the early 1900s coincided with our lowest national unemployment rate and fastest economic growth”. Immigrants are, in fact, contributing to economic growth.

What about taxes? Undocumented workers contribute over $8 billion per year to Social Security and Medicare (National Immigration Law Center). Indeed, the majority of undocumented workers pay federal, state, local and sales taxes. Because of these unclaimed contributions, the Social Security Administration has a burgeoning ‘suspense file’ that stood at $463 billion in 2002. The overwhelmingly young immigrant population is contributing to our retirements.