Like many during Tuesday night’s 2020 Democratic presidential debate, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had an issue with moderators’ questions essentially being framed around Republican talking points—especially on the topic of immigration—and in turn perpetuating misconceptions about undocumented immigrant families. Her message to them was clear: You’re thinking about it all wrong.
“Immigration policy isn’t about ‘containing a problem,’” she tweeted. “It’s about realizing the opportunity and value inherent in all people.” Specifically, she noted that undocumented immigrants pay taxes, billions annually, and it’s also a fact that if these families had the ability to get onto a path to citizenship, it would be a financial boon for both them and the nation. It’s only fair, Ocasio-Cortez notes, because these families are already funding so much of what others benefit from right now.
“Public goods aren’t ‘gifts’ to immigrants—they pay for your kids’ schooling too,” she continued. In fact, undocumented immigrants also help fund Social Security and Medicare (check out this video on how from Dreamer Juan Escalante), including for many of those same Trump voters who also want immigrants gone. Undocumented immigrants also help fund Social Security and Medicare even though they’ll never be able to access the programs themselves unless their immigration status changes.
The Center for American Progress said in a 2015 report that putting the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants onto a path to citizenship “would have added a cumulative $1.2 trillion to the economy, increasing all Americans’ overall income by $625 billion and creating an average of 145,000 jobs per year over a decade,” while, just as importantly, allowing families to stay together right here, where they belong.
Immigrants are more than their taxes and their contributions, with hopes, dreams, and aspirations for themselves and their families. But as Ocasio-Cortez reminds us, they also contribute—a lot—and that must be recognized. Our nation also gladly takes their contributions, all the while implementing anti-immigrant policies that harm them, and with their tax dollars, too. Funny how little we talk about that part. It’s time to change all of this.