Immigration policy reform, not mass deportations

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In a small, fictional Southern town, white residents awake one morning to find that all the Black people in their city have mysteriously disappeared. The white citizens are confused and upset when daily business as usual is disrupted or abruptly grounded to a halt. Being without the Black population for a mere 24 hours demonstrated the hard way how much they needed and depended upon people of color to keep the social order intact.

“Day of Absence” is the one-act play written by the late Douglas Turner Ward, an African American playwright and founder of the Negro Ensemble Company in New York. His play, described above, premiered off-Broadway in 1965 and in community theaters around the country, including performances here in the Twin Cities, in the late 1960s and 1970s.

That little piece of theater comes to mind as the second Donald Trump administration is set to be sworn in. Of course, it’s not a direct comparison. The incoming president’s pledge to deport America’s undocumented immigrants would certainly take more than a single day and would involve untold numbers of people.

But if the incoming administration fulfills its vow to conduct mass deportations, countless Americans might have their own Days of Absence — and we’ll all feel the economic difficulties of losing so many who contributed so much to our economy.

Trump and his appointed border czar, Tom Homan, say that on Day One (which is Monday, Inauguration Day) they’ll launch the largest deportation effort in the history of the U.S. There are an estimated nearly 12 million undocumented people in America and the incoming administration says it is coming for them.

The immigration issue resonated for many American citizens and is undoubtedly one of the major reasons voters returned the 45th president to the White House. Yet even those who favor making the undocumented “disappear” (and perhaps voted for Trump because of his pledge to do so) could have second thoughts after millions leave the country and take their buying power, taxes paid and critical workforce contributions with them.

A preview of a Minnesota Chamber of Commerce study released this week documents the positive impact immigration has had on our state. It reports that migration into the state from other countries — including documented and undocumented people — accounted for 94% of Minnesota’s population growth during the past four years. The full report will be released in February and is the latest of many chamber studies about the significant economic contributions immigrants make to Minnesota.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey estimates that Minnesota is now home to 479,231 foreign-born residents, or about 8.5% of the population. Data from numerous organizations confirm the importance of immigration to this state. In addition to the chamber, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), USAFacts and the American Immigration Council confirm the importance of immigration in this state and the nation.

The Minnesota Budget Project reported last fall that undocumented immigrants contributed $222 million in local taxes in 2022.

“Their vital economic participation helps fund the public services we all rely on, from schools to health care, ensuring our families and communities stay strong,” the project wrote. And the research division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that at least 42% of American farmworkers are undocumented.

Other areas heavy with immigrant labor are hospitality, construction and agriculture. What will Americans do when a head of lettuce is unavailable or costs $10? How will the anti-immigration crowd react when having a roof replaced costs three or four times the current price? And what happens when affected families lose their breadwinners and subsequently their homes or businesses?

Don’t get me wrong. Being in this country without documentation is illegal under current U.S. rules; there should be consequences for violating the law. Criminals should be held accountable. Our borders should be more secure. And its perfectly understandable why legal immigrants who went through the often yearslong process of becoming citizens might resent those who don’t even bother.

But here’s the reality: The majority of those who come to America do so to work and support their families. And they know they will likely find that work because large and small American businesses will hire them — also in violation of the law.

It’s abundantly clear that immigration policy in this nation has long been broken and in need of change — reforms that would include a clear pathway to citizenship for law-abiding, deserving immigrants who work, pay taxes, consume goods and have generally established productive lives here.

That’s the better approach to dealing with undocumented residents. Far better than mass deportations that could force America into a Day of Absence-type reckoning.