Iowa’s economy relies on a welcoming immigration policy

We are now more than a month past the deadline for DACA’s expiration. DREAMers have been on pins and needles since President Trump cruelly announced the end of the program in September, and the widespread implications for our communities across the country are being realized on social and economic levels. Many trends, including a report from the USDA’s Economic Research Service, point toward widespread depopulation in rural areas. We simply cannot stand to lose contributing members of our community — Iowa’s prosperity absolutely relies on a welcoming immigration policy.Deporting DREAMers would significantly impact our local and national prosperity, creating a loss of up to $400 billion over the next 10 years. FWD.us has published studies that show more than 90% of DACA recipients are employed; with more than 725,000 DREAMers participating in America’s tax-paying workforce — from the tech and innovation sectors to our agriculture industry — our communities would feel the sting of a reduced workforce.