Misinformation that immigrants do not pay taxes or that they drain public resources is not only untrue but also detrimental to societal cohesion.
Watch: Gov. Greg Abbott’s full 2024 RNC speech
Texas Governor Greg Abbott delivers speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
No matter the political nonsense you hear spouted about immigration, legal and otherwise, here’s the truth: America needs more immigrants, documented and otherwise.
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.
Yes, they pay taxes, lots of taxes, to the tune of nearly $100 billion dollars in 2022.
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
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.
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And here’s a truth that Abbott didn’t acknowledge: According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, in Texas in 2022, undocumented immigrants paid $4.9 billion in state and local taxes.
That was more than the combined taxes collected in Texas for alcohol, cigarette/tobacco, hotel occupancy and utility.
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.
Blame 1924 National Origins Quota Act: Trump and Biden blame each other for illegal immigration. But Congress created it.
Lies about immigrants hurt our nation
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.
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.
