The Backbone of America: How Immigrants Keep the Economy Moving

When people talk about the American Dream, they often forget who helped build it.

From picking crops to building skyscrapers, driving innovation in Silicon Valley to opening small businesses in local communities, immigrants are the backbone of the U.S. economy. They are not just part of the story, they are the engine that keeps it running.

Immigrants Keep Our Economy Alive

According to a 2023 report by the American Immigration Council, immigrants made up over 17% of the U.S. labor force, despite being just 13.7% of the total population. They fill essential jobs in agriculture, construction, health care, hospitality, and transportation industries that would collapse without them.

Let’s break it down:

    •    72% of farmworkers in the U.S. are immigrants.

Without them, food doesn’t get harvested. Crops rot in the fields. Grocery store shelves go empty.

    •    1 in 4 doctors in the U.S. is an immigrant.

That’s right, while many were staying home during COVID-19, immigrant healthcare workers were on the front lines, risking their lives to save others.

    •    Immigrants make up 30% of all maids and cleaners, 36% of taxi drivers, and over 40% of meat-processing workers.

These aren’t glamorous jobs, but they’re critical to keeping daily life moving.

Small Business = Big Impact

Immigrants are more likely to start businesses than U.S.-born citizens. In fact, immigrants founded over 40% of Fortune 500 companies, including Google, Tesla, eBay, and Pfizer.

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, immigrants are 80% more likely to start a new business than someone born in the U.S. These businesses create jobs, boost local economies, and bring innovation and diversity to the marketplace.

They Pay Taxes Too

A common misconception is that immigrants drain the economy but the truth is the opposite.

Undocumented immigrants alone contribute over $11.7 billion in state and local taxes every year (Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, 2021). Legal immigrants pay even more in income, property, and sales taxes.

According to the New American Economy Research Fund, immigrants contributed over $2 trillion to the U.S. GDP in 2022.

What Happens Without Immigrants?

If immigrants disappeared tomorrow:

    •    Crops would rot in the fields.

    •    Restaurants, hotels, and delivery services would be overwhelmed.

    •    Hospitals would face massive staffing shortages.

    •    Social Security would shrink because immigrants contribute billions to it every year.

    •    Innovation would stall 55% of U.S. startups valued at $1 billion or more were founded by immigrants.

The Truth is Simple: We Need Each Other

America was built on immigration and it’s still being built by immigrants today. To deny their value is not just ungrateful, it’s economically foolish.

Immigrants don’t just come to take. They come to build.

They come to give.

They come to work.

And they come to dream, the same dream every American chases.

So the next time someone asks, “What have immigrants done for us?”

The answer is simple: everything.

Want to Show Support?

Wear your roots with pride.

Support immigrant-owned businesses.

Speak up against injustice.

And most importantly, vote for policies that protect the people who keep this country moving.