By Lor Lee
NDG Contributing Writer
Between 2.2 million and 2.3 million people self-deported last year. Some left to avoid separating their families, and many were persuaded to leave with promises that if they left voluntarily, they would be allowed to return. Another 675,000 people were forcefully deported, while 1.1 million lost Temporary Protected Status.
As a result, the United States recorded net-negative immigration for the first time in history, said Jennie Murray, president and CEO of the National Immigration Forum, during an American Community Media briefing.
These represent massive losses for communities and the workforce. Immigrants are a work-focused and skilled talent segment of the population, accounting for only 13% of the U.S. population while making up 19% of the workforce.
This adds up to severe consequences for the economy and tax revenue. Murray noted the shifts amount to about $1.3 trillion in lost tax revenue, fewer people contributing to Social Security, and around $1.7 million in broader economic losses.
The trend is heavily impacting rural areas, which are losing population for the first time in history.
These communities are also evolving as the white population ages and outmigration occurs. The white population is in a natural decrease, experiencing more deaths than births. Members of this demographic are aging out of their childbearing years and getting closer to the end of their lives. One in four adults and one in three children in rural areas are now nonwhite, according to Tim Slack, a widely published sociology professor at Penn State.
“When young people leave a community, they take their reproductive capacity with them and go somewhere else to build a family,” Slack said. “So, it’s kind of a double whammy for a small town in terms of population.”
Slack added that older residents have special health concerns and need young, working-age people to meet those needs. Life expectancy among rural residents has been declining since 2010, a trend most pronounced among working Americans. In the absence of immigrants, small towns face declining tax bases, closing schools, and labor shortages.
However, the “healthy migrant effect” offsets some of these challenges. Immigrants tend to be in better health than both the populations they leave behind and the residents of the areas where they arrive. Many of these immigrants are anxious to work and are staffing the nursing homes that care for the aging population.
Yet, these vital relationships are breaking down, explained Rachel Perić, executive director of Welcoming America. This fracturing comes after many communities had spent years working toward a sense of participation, belonging and connection among neighbors.
“We can’t make communities whole and functional if people don’t feel they can put down roots,” Perić said.
As small towns lose their population, schools consolidate, and businesses are no longer able to fill staff vacancies, added Mark Prosser, former police chief and current director of pastoral planning for the Catholic Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa.
Prosser said Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and aggressive deportations are causing people to avoid going to work, attending doctor appointments, grocery shopping and even going to church. Prosser noted that these fears are being weaponized politically to drive dangerous anti-immigrant narratives.
To counter this, advocacy groups are buying groceries for their neighbors, helping them navigate immigration court, and organizing a monthly march in Sioux City to keep the spotlight on the issue. Local organizations, churches and rapid response groups are also coordinating to give residents a heads-up when ICE agents are in town.
Unfortunately, city and county leaders worry that if they speak up, a target will be painted on their communities, bringing them harm. Prosser noted this dynamic might mean the political pendulum is starting to swing back as people see their neighbors impacted. Iowa, which historically swung from blue to purple, has recently been reliably red.
“Many believed they were going to be removing the criminals,” Prosser said. “But it’s not the criminals. The majority being removed have no record.”
Other communities have seen immigration completely transform small-town decline into growth. Springfield, Ohio, was shrinking fast, even hitting 1920s population levels, until Haitian immigration revitalized the city.
“There hadn’t been homes built in Springfield in quite some time, but there are now 3,000 new homes going up. A lot of that is our Haitian population,” said Dr. Carl Ruby, senior pastor at Central Christian Church in Springfield.
Rev. Ruby founded Springfield Neighbors United and G92 to help Haitians facing deportation. His church even put together cards that read, “God loves you, and so do we. We’re glad you’re in Springfield.”
“They are hardworking people,” Ruby said. “It will take several Americans to fill their shoes. They always show up for work. They take on as much overtime as they can get.”
“I hope that when the story is told, the story won’t be about the awful things that the president has said, but will be that the community of Springfield rallied around people when they were attacked,” Ruby said. “I see that happening everyday.”
Despite their contributions, Haitian children and adolescents are terrified of being sent back to Haiti. Many are experiencing severe nightmares after facing atrocities before arriving in the U.S.
Ruby noted that the anti-immigrant rhetoric is causing friction within faith communities. The Bible says a lot about welcoming immigrants, including principles found in the Sermon on the Mount and the Ten Commandments. Because of this gap between scripture and modern politics, some Evangelical Christians are starting to leave Evangelicalism.
“They want to be part of a faith that actually does what Christ taught us — to treat people how we want to be treated and care for people who live in the margins,” Ruby said. “Most major faiths have those values at their core.”
