A new report says undocumented immigrant New Yorkers contribute $3 billion to local, state and federal tax revenue.

The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy estimates 676,000 undocumented workers contribute to New York's economy. The report also notes work authorizations could increase contributions by almost $1 billion annually.

Denise Bell, vice president of policy and programs for the New York Immigration Coalition, said challenges stall the process.

"The work authorization can be a bit of a lengthy process that can depend on the type of status that an immigrant has," Bell explained. "There really has been a dedicated push to make more immigrants around the country eligible for work authorizations. Hence, Venezuelans recently became eligible for TPS."

"TPS" is Temporary Protected Status. Work authorizations can increase a person's wages and reduce tax law compliance barriers. More than 205,000 migrants have entered New York since the spring of 2022.

Bell feels anti-immigrant rhetoric harms the work authorization process. She stressed reports like this remind people immigrants are an economic engine for the state and the nation.

Nationally, undocumented immigrants contribute nearly $100 billion in taxes and close to $34 billion annually into Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance, although the benefits are not available to them. Bell argued some of these funds could support programs for undocumented immigrants.

"We are also working with the State of New York on something called 'Welcoming New York,' to build the infrastructure to receive and support and help integrate newcomer immigrants," Bell pointed out. "That's specifically around access to legal services to help people apply for asylum, for TPS, for work authorizations."

The Welcoming New York campaign would also create a Bilingual Teacher Pipeline program, allow guaranteed access to child care for undocumented families, and increase investments in the New York State Enhanced Services to Refugees Program to help refugee resettlement agencies.


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Southeast Asian refugees at risk of deportation in Massachusetts are asking President Biden to pardon them before he leaves office.

Deportations skyrocketed under the first Trump administration with removals of Cambodians up nearly 300%.

Kevin Lam, co-executive director of the Southeast Asian Freedom Network, said many Vietnam War refugees lacked the resources to apply for citizenship and risk being separated from their families once again.

"There's action that the Biden Administration can take right now to truly protect immigrant and refugee communities from the threat of detentions and deportations under Trump," Lam contended.

Lam pointed out it includes extending the Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from countries impacted by war or other dangerous conditions and protecting DACA recipients with new H-1B visas.

The 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War will be marked in 2025. More than 1 million Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian refugees resettled in the U.S., including parts of Boston and Lowell. Some became entangled in the criminal justice system as they grappled with the trauma of war and now face removal over decades-old convictions.

Lam stressed Biden can rectify policies he once supported, which led to mass incarceration and expulsion of refugees.

"The implications of policies that were passed under him and actions that were taken through him have put Southeast Asians into the prison to deportation pipeline," Lam asserted.

Last month, Biden granted clemency to nearly 1,500 Americans and said he would consider more pardons before the end of his term next week.

Lam argued refugees who fled U.S. military intervention to rebuild their lives in Massachusetts deserve the same chance.


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With President-elect Donald Trump set to take office on Monday, a Pennsylvania group is helping some residents prepare for possible deportation actions and warning of the consequences.

Trump has said his administration will undertake what he called "the largest mass deportation in U.S. history."

Cathryn Miller-Wilson, executive director of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Pennsylvania, advised people to stay calm, assert their right to a hearing and avoid opening their doors to unexpected visitors. She added mass deportation would mean workforce shortages for the state, as well as higher tax burdens for residents and businesses.

"What's going to happen if there is success with the proposed policies is, first of all, a good chunk -- maybe 50% or more -- of the workforce will simply disappear," Miller-Wilson pointed out. "They'll either be put into detention or they'll be deported," she said.

America First Legal, representing the Trump administration, has already cautioned more than 200 officials in so-called "sanctuary" jurisdictions about possible legal repercussions for hindering federal immigration enforcement or assisting undocumented people.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has pledged to protect residents' rights and uphold community safety.

Miller-Wilson said her organization is working with officials to help keep schools and courts safe, ensuring the children of undocumented parents can go to classes without fear. She added they are also working to provide legal resources and social services to people, particularly those who have lower incomes.

"We've been receiving, since Election Day, an increasing number of calls from individuals who want representation; who may be eligible for a legal remedy and are concerned about trying to get that remedy before the 20th, something that is likely not to happen because the immigration process is so slow," Miller-Wilson outlined.

Miller-Wilson explained misinformation leads to misunderstandings about who crosses the border, and said many people who are undocumented initially entered the country legally but let their visas expire.


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A proposed amendment to strip Chicago of its sanctuary protections is scheduled to be voted on this week.

The change to the Welcome City Ordinance would allow Chicago police to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport undocumented residents arrested for crimes related to gangs, drugs, prostitution, human trafficking and sex crimes involving minors.

Ed Yohnka, director of communications and public policy for the ACLU of Illinois, said the move could be illegal.

"Changing the ordinance would put the city of Chicago at odds with the state policy around the Illinois Trust Act, where that would then situate the state's largest city in terms of cooperating with ICE officials when other people are not permitted to."

State law prohibits Illinois law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration agents. The proposed amendment will be voted on at Wednesday's city council meeting.

Alders Ray Lopez and Silvana Tabares said they proposed the tweak to appease the incoming Trump administration and deter action against law-abiding noncitizens. Yohnka called the idea unsettling.

"Changing that now when you have an administration that speaks with such cruelty and ferocity about newcomers is, I think, especially corrosive and troubling," Yohnka added.

Other concerns he raised are the lack of due process and how the change would undermine public safety.

Both Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker have said they would protect noncitizen immigrants. Pritzker would make one exception, arguing felons should be evicted from the country.


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