By Sophia Doan
Amidst all of the derogatory language used to describe immigrants within the United States’ political system, immigration has been found to stir and stimulate economic growth. One of the most highly debated and prevalent topics on a political stage, immigration, along with its processes and regulations, remains a complex issue. Despite brutal political rhetoric, immigrants are crucial in strengthening the United States economy through labor, entrepreneurship, and investment.
Immigrants stimulate economic growth through the workforce: “when immigrants enter the labor force, they increase the productive captivity of the economy and raise the GDP” articulates an article detailing the various ways immigrants are a valuable necessity to the United States (bushcenter.org). Through the immigrant workforce, the wages of all workers continue to increase.
Besides solely working for businesses, immigrants continue to start successful companies throughout the United States. Scanning the 2024 Fortune 500 list of companies, the American Immigration Council found that “46 percent, or 230 companies, were founded by immigrants or their children” (americanimmigrationcouncil.org). Not only are immigrants and their families successfully starting companies and building products, they are ranking among the top 500 businesses in the United States. The Fortune 500 companies are often used as a measure of economic stability and growth, and are the “highest revenue generating companies in the United States” (50pros.com). Immigrants stimulate and push the United States economy by becoming some of the highest contributors. They continuously rank among the top businesses, making the United States a financially stable country.
Additionally, immigrants invest back into the American economy. “Immigrants generated about $1.7 trillion in economic activity in 2023 according to the… U.S. Census,” concludes Diana Roy, a writer describing the economic impact on immigrants (cfr.org). The contributions of the immigrant population to the United States economy grows larger and larger each year. With such a large amount of spending power, there is no doubt that immigrants have a positive impact on the economy through immense stimulation.
Further proving all of the immensely positive impacts of immigrants economically, the Trump administration’s brutal crackdowns on immigration policy has begun to impact the U.S. economy. Since the beginning of 2025, labor within the hotel, restaurant, construction, health-care, and agricultural industries—all immigrant-dominated industries—has taken a hit. In October 2025, the Department of Labor concerned regarding the Trump administration policies impacting labor, stating “without prompt action, agricultural employers will face severe labor shortages, resulting in disruption to food production, higher prices, and reduced access for U.S. consumers” (federalregister.gov). Labor within the United States has become so dependent on the workforce of immigrants that political policies around immigration raise concerns regarding the pricing and labor shortages of the agriculture industry. Contributions to the economy by immigrants remain essential to the United States. Diana Roy concludes, “economic analyses widely suggest that the [Trump] administration’s actions, especially mass deportations and restrictions on legal immigration pathways, will have a negative effect on long-term U.S. economic growth” (cfr.org).
Overall, immigrants prove to be vital contributors to the United States economy, through working, establishing successful businesses, and investing back into the economy.