Trump made a lot of promises during his campaign, including lowering the price of groceries and ending the Ukraine war on Day One of his presidency. Since the election, he has backpedaled on both.
But there is one promise that has come into fruition. One that could impact millions of Americans – and soon. Find out what it is in this week’s Facts Over Fear.
Trump has made good on a promise to be much more aggressive in a second term, promising to launch a ripped-from-the-Project-2025-playbook’s “shock-and-awe” blitz of executive orders targeting not only millions of immigrants and their families, but threatening the security and freedom of all of us.
Right here in Pennsylvania, 7.7 percent of the state’s residents are foreign-born and according to the data from the American Immigration Council, immigrants paid more than $13 billion in taxes in 2022 and displayed more than $34 billion dollars in spending power. Another report showcased how Pennsylvania’s growing immigrant communities have helped spur economic growth across the state.
And nationwide, Pew Research estimates that about 11 million immigrants are undocumented in the United States. Most do not have a criminal conviction and and their reasons for being here may vary, from asylum-seekers to those who had a tourist visa and overstayed.
A mass deportation of one million people a year could cost us $88 billion annually, according to the nonpartisan American Immigration Council. It would mean a massive increase in law-enforcement staffing, immigration courtrooms, flight accessibility and increasing detention capacity.
It’s clear that we need a better path forward for citizenship in the United States. One that leads with common sense and compassion, one that builds strong communities, and where we all have a chance to chase that elusive American dream. And that my friends, is a fact.
