Undocumented immigrants have a substantial economic footprint in the US and Utah

Nov 27, 2024, 4:00 PM

economic footprint undocumented workers...

Migrant workers harvest Watermelons on a farm in Green River. Immigrant workers supply much of the work force in the agricultural community in the Green River area of Utah. (Photo by Edward Linsmier, Deseret Morning News)

(Photo by Edward Linsmier, Deseret Morning News)

BY ALEXANDREA BONILLA

Associate Producer

SALT LAKE CITY — Undocumented immigrants have a large economic footprint in the U.S. including here in Utah.

The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy estimates there are around 10.9 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.

An estimated 92,000 reside in Utah. In 2022, undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state and local taxes.

Local economic footprint

Senior Policy Analyst Marco Guzman said $235 million of that is from immigrants living here in Utah.

“If there were ever to be any sort of legal status granted to them, we would see that potential increase to be about an additional $57 million,” he said.

According to Guzman, undocumented immigrants also pay income and payroll, social security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance taxes.

“They paid via income and payroll taxes; $25.7 billion in social security taxes. [They paid] $6.4 billion in Medicare taxes and $1.8 billion in unemployment insurance taxes,” he said.

However, most of the immigrants do not have access to those benefits.

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Undocumented immigrants have a substantial economic footprint in the US and Utah

Local economic footprint

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