According to a report from the Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP), immigrants and pro-immigration policies are crucial to the state’s economic growth.
Scott Preston is a senior policy analyst of immigration and criminal justice reform at the Michigan League for Public Policy. He said Michigan’s economy is built on a structural need for immigrants.
“We often get bogged down in this debate about, you know, whether someone is here with a documented status or undocumented,” Preston said. “But that debate sort of misses the larger point. We really simply haven't funded or set up our immigration system to adequately provide enough legal routes to meet the labor demand our economy has.”
The report indicates that pro-immigration policies could slow the state’s expected population decline, which is likely to accellerate after 2030. The American Immigration Council found that immigrants moving to the state accounted for nearly 60% of the population growth in Michigan between 2012 and 2022.
Additionally, more than 80% off immigrants have lived in the state for more than 5 years, the Council report said.
According to the Growing Michigan Together Council, Michigan has ranked second-to-last nationally in population growth for the past 30 years. Population decline affects Michigan’s labor force, tax base, sustainability of social safety nets, and political representation, Preston said.
Preston added that Trump Administration policy changes have created fear in Michigan communities. “It means normal aspects of everyday life really become this terrible calculation where you have to weigh is it worth leaving the house in order to get the food I need, if it means I could be separated from my children and sent to a potentially dangerous situation,” he said.
Preston said immigrants often come to the United States because of labor demand, and fill labor gaps in sectors that are facing hiring shortages, such as medicine, nursing homes, auto manufacturing, farming, and construction.
For example, he said 800 more physicians are needed by 2030 just to maintain the state’s current physician to resident ratio. “So without immigrants, we're going to be facing longer wait times for health care and more expensive elder care,” Preston said.
The report found immigrants make up:
- 14% of Michigan’s auto manufacturing workers
- 28% of Michigan’s physicians
- 30% of Michigan’s software developers
The report noted that immigrants also make up a significant part of the state’s construction and farming workforce, and they’re far more likely to start a business than native-born citizens. Preston said immigrants contribute about $2.5 billion in state and local taxes to support Michigan's economy.
The MLPP report outlined policies to support immigration growth and workplace integration in the state, including:
- Reduced barriers for driver's licenses
- H1-B visa support. The H-1B visa is a temporary visa for specialty occupation workers with at lest a B.A. or B.S. degree.
- Enhanced language access
- Improved training and education programs
- Systematic credential transfer equivalency processes
- Child care, transportation, English as a second language and case management for Michigan residents
“Stopping the campaign of mass deportation at the local level is also part of creating a more welcoming environment that is attractive to people that we need in the state,” Preston said. He said about 70% of undocumented immigrants across the country live in mixed status households, with people that are married to immigrants or have U.S. citizen children.
Preston said repealing 287G agreements, which redirect local police to take on federal immigration responsibilities, is another potential way to increase immigrant presence in the workforce.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency has stated that securing the nation’s borders and safeguarding the integrity of the immigration system is its primary focus. ICE said immigration enforcement is critical to the safety, security, and well-being of the nation.
