If you aren’t already mad after reading the preceding sentence, hold my beer. Immigrants coming into America boost our economy . And undocumented immigrants in the United States play an astonishing role in strengthening the nation through their substantial tax contributions.
These payments fund essential public services and immigrants' own paths to legal status. Misinformation about undocumented immigrants in America is harmful and leads to stereotypes and policies that not only hurt immigrants but Americans and businesses, too.
Numbers prove both Trump and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrong
Former President Donald Trump greets Texas Gov. Greg Abbott at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July 2024. Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY
In 2015, when Donald Trump began his campaign for the presidency, he often touted claims that undocumented immigrants were “bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists” to appeal to what would become his MAGA base. It wasn’t the first or last time that Trump and other Republicans attacked undocumented immigrants.
False claims that undocumented immigrants are more likely to commit crimes than citizens or are a danger to public health help to fuel border security measures that endanger migrants' lives far more than ours.
Undocumented immigrants pay taxes on goods and services, on homes that they own or rent and on the income they earn. That money helps to pay for essential services such as education and health care.
Misinformation that immigrants do not pay taxes or that they drain public resources is not only untrue but also detrimental to societal cohesion.
These misconceptions fuel unjust policies and distract from the real issues, ultimately hurting all of us by undermining the economic and social contributions of immigrant communities.
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America has been home to immigrants, legal and undocumented, since its inception. Recognizing and valuing their contributions is the right thing to do.
So, too, is fostering a more inclusive and fair immigration system that benefits everyone.
Marla Bautista is a military fellow columnist at USA TODAY Opinion .
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