June 24, 2025
Mass Deportations Harm Virginia Communities and Our Economy
Removing community members en masse could result in a loss of millions per year in state and local tax revenue, fewer jobs, and increased cost of living
Forcibly removing immigrants harms communities, comes at a significant fiscal cost to the state and local governments, and could strain key industries across Virginia, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Institute (TCI) and the Immigration Research Initiative.
“Our immigrant neighbors are integral to our communities, both culturally and economically,” says Freddy Mejia, Policy Director at The Commonwealth Institute and a co-author of the report. “Forcibly removing community members en masse rips the fabric of our communities, erodes trust in law enforcement, and is costly for all of us. The state and localities should refrain from volunteering to enforce a federal responsibility. Instead, we must work together to push real solutions to the challenges that many of us face, whether we were born here or moved here.”
“Immigrant workers, with and without legal status, are at risk under this current deportation regime, but so too are U.S.-born workers,” said Shamier Settle, senior policy analyst at the Immigration Research Initiative and co-author of the report. “Our economy is not a zero-sum game — when immigrants are deported the number of jobs for U.S.-born workers declines.”
Key findings from the report include:
- Immigrants, both documented and undocumented, play vital roles in key Virginia industries, making up 28% of child care workers, 25% of cooks, and 25% of construction workers.
- Deporting working people without documentation would result in a predictable decline in the number of jobs for U.S.-born workers.
- Removing large numbers of working people from Virginia’s labor force would mean an increase in the cost of living for people across the commonwealth.
- In 2022, people who are undocumented paid nearly $690 million in Virginia state and local taxes, contributing a larger percentage of their income to our shared resources than the wealthiest in the state. If 10% of people who are undocumented are deported, it would result in a loss of $69 million per year in state and local tax revenues.
- Providing a pathway to legal status for people without documentation would increase Virginia state and local tax revenues by $167 million.
