Tax Contributions

Do undocumented immigrants pay taxes?

Undocumented immigrants play a crucial role in the U.S. economy, not only through their labor but also through substantial tax contributions that support public services and government programs.

  • In 2023, households led by undocumented immigrants paid $89.8B in total taxes. This includes $33.9B in state and local taxes and $55.8B in federal taxes.
  • In 2023, approximately 4.9% of the U.S. workforce was undocumented.
  • 89.4% of undocumented immigrants are of working age.

Our Map the Impact tool shows the tax contributions of immigrants at the national, state and local level.

Recent Features

  • Blog

Ahead of Tax Day, Fear of Filing Taxes Rises Among Undocumented Immigrants

Tax Day is approaching, but the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts may make many undocumented immigrants hesitant to file taxes. Some worry that providing personal information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) could be used against them.

All Tax Contributions Content

  • Special Report

Building Community and Fueling Growth: The Role of Immigrants in Reviving the Great Lakes Region

Publication Date: 
October 15, 2024
“Building Community and Fueling Growth: The Role of Immigrants in Reviving the Great Lakes Region” was written in partnership with the American Immigration Council (AIC) and is an in-depth analysis...
  • Special Report

Mass Deportation

Publication Date: 
October 2, 2024
The mass deportation of millions of undocumented individuals would be tremendously expensive and would have a catastrophic impact on our economy—one that would be expansive and impact every American...
  • Fact Sheet

New Americans in Greater Salem

Publication Date: 
October 10, 2023
New research from the American Immigration Council shows that immigrants in Greater Salem paid over $200 million in taxes and held over $536 million in spending power in 2019. The new report, New...
  • Fact Sheet

The Contributions of Temporary Protected Status Holders to the U.S. Economy

Publication Date: 
September 19, 2023

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a program that allows certain individuals from designated countries that are facing severe ...

  • Fact Sheet

New Americans in Allen County

Publication Date: 
September 6, 2023
New research from the American Immigration Council shows that immigrants in Allen County paid over $160 million in taxes and exceeded $496.0 million in spending power in 2019. The new report, New...
Cover of Refugee Report
  • Special Report

Starting Anew

Publication Date: 
June 20, 2023
A record 100 million people around the globe were forced to flee their homes in 2022, up from 65 million in 2015. Of those displaced last year, 32.5 million were refugees who had to leave their...
  • Fact Sheet

The Growing Demand for Healthcare Workers in Texas

Publication Date: 
September 21, 2022
To address significant shortages of physicians and other healthcare workers, Texas must establish policies that recruit and retain local talent and give employment possibilities for immigrant...
  • Fact Sheet

The Economic Contributions of Immigrants in Texas

Publication Date: 
July 11, 2022

New research from the American Immigration Council, The Economic Contributions of Immigrants in Texas, highlights the crucial role of immigrants in the state’s workforce across the manufacturing,...

  • Fact Sheet

Power of the Purse: Contributions of Hispanic Americans in the Rio Grande Valley

Publication Date: 
June 3, 2022
This fact sheet underscores the crucial role Hispanic Texans play in the Rio Grande Valley’s labor force, population growth, and economy.
  • Fact Sheet

Power of the Purse: Contributions of Hispanic Americans in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission Metro Area

Publication Date: 
June 3, 2022
This fact sheet underscores the crucial role Hispanic Texans play in the metro area’s labor force, population growth, and economy.
  • Blog

Ahead of Tax Day, Fear of Filing Taxes Rises Among Undocumented Immigrants

April 1, 2025

Written by Steven Hubbard and Micaela McConnell Tax Day is approaching, but the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts may make many undocumented immigrants hesitant to file taxes. Some...

  • Blog

Immigrants Contribute Billions to Federal and State Taxes Each Year

April 15, 2024

Without fail, each Tax Day a prevalent myth resurfaces that conceals the truth about immigrants’ contributions to federal, state, and local taxes. Bolstered by social media and other outlets, it...

  • Blog

New Americans in Houston Report Launched at Regional Event: Houston: Poised to Lead

March 6, 2024

A new research report, New Americans in Houston: A Snapshot of the Demographic and Economic Contributions of Immigrants in the Houston Metro Area, released by the American Immigration Council,...

  • Blog

Map the Impact: Immigrants Make Up Over 18% of the Total US Population Growth

November 13, 2023

Written by Robin Lundh, Research Manager and Anna Shepperson, Research Associate. Immigration—long central to the American experience—has dominated news coverage in recent years. Between 2016 and...

  • Blog

Immigrants Help Fund Our Public Programs

April 11, 2023

Over the next 30 years, immigrants will pay more in taxes than they will consume in benefits, a new study from the Cato Institute found. This net positive flow in tax contributions shows that...

  • Blog

Dispelling the Myth: How Undocumented Immigrants Pay Taxes and Contribute to the US Tax Base

March 22, 2023

As Tax Day approaches, it is important to acknowledge the tax contributions made by immigrants—even those who are undocumented. These contributions play a vital role in the funding and...

  • Blog

Hispanics in the US: What the Data Reveals About Shifting Geography, Ancestry, and Voting Patterns

September 14, 2022

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we look at the most recent Census and data to highlight the importance of Hispanics in the United States. For those wondering why Hispanic Heritage Month starts mid-...

  • Blog

Immigrants Punch Above Their Weight as Taxpayers

April 14, 2022

As Tax Day approaches, it’s a good time to bring the significant tax contributions of immigrants—including undocumented immigrants—into the spotlight. These contributions are indispensable to the...

  • Blog

Tuition Equity Policies for Immigrant Students Continue to Advance at the State Level

April 22, 2019

Attending a four-year public college or university is out of reach for many students without U.S. citizenship. But thanks to a growing number of new state laws—which make certain students eligible...

  • Blog

Immigrants’ Taxes Help Save the Social Security System

April 15, 2019

The survival of the nation’s Social Security system depends upon the taxes paid by each new generation of workers. As older workers enter retirement and draw upon Social Security, the continued...

  • Press Release

Trump’s Registration Requirement Means Fear, Uncertainty for Millions of Americans

February 26, 2025
The Trump administration announced a policy that will require many Americans to always carry identification documents with them to prove they are not deportable.
  • Press Release

New Data: Immigrants Keep Economy Strong, As Congress Considers Wasting Billions on Mass Deportation

February 25, 2025
New data shows how immigrants are contributing billions of dollars to the U.S. economy, even as the Trump administration and Congress are pushing for unprecedented funding for mass deportation.
  • Press Release

NEW REPORT: Immigrants are Fueling Economic Growth, Revitalizing Communities in Great Lakes States

October 15, 2024
A new report describes how immigrants are key to the economic success and future viability of communities across the Great Lakes region.
  • Press Release

New Report Shows How Immigrant Entrepreneurs Create Jobs Across the U.S.

September 9, 2024
A new report from the American Immigration Council highlights how immigrant entrepreneurs create jobs and make the U.S. a more prosperous place.
  • Press Release

New Data Analysis: Immigrants Driving Opportunity, Prosperity in the U.S., Including in Swing States

June 5, 2024
A new analysis of 2022 U.S. census data highlights how, amidst the Biden administration's recent actions to limit asylum access along the U.S.-Mexico border, and in the context of ramped-up anti-immigrant rhetoric during this year’s presidential campaign, immigrants are helping make the United States a more prosperous and economically booming country.
  • Press Release

New Report Shows Immigrants Play Critical Role to Michigan’s Population Growth, Economy

May 29, 2024
Immigrants accounted for 57.7 percent of Michigan’s population growth over last decade and contributed $67.8 billion, or 9.9 percent, of the state’s total GDP in 2022
  • Press Release

New Report Shows Immigrants in Androscoggin County, Maine Paid Over $24 Million in Taxes and Held Over $74 Million in Spending Power in 2019

April 4, 2024
Immigrants play a crucial role in the labor force in southern Maine, according to data in a new report.
  • Press Release

New Report Shows Immigrants in Houston Paid Over $16 Billion in Taxes and Exceeded $50 Billion in Spending Power in 2021

February 26, 2024
A new research report by the American Immigration Council underscores the crucial role immigrants play in the Houston area’s economy, finding that immigrants paid $16 billion in taxes and exceeded $50 billion in spending power in 2021.
  • Press Release

American Immigration Council Maps the Impact of Immigrants With New Data on the United States and All 50 States

November 13, 2023
  • Press Release

New Report Shows Immigrants in Kent County Paid Over $408 Million in Taxes and held $1.3 Billion in Spending Power in 2019

September 15, 2023
A new report, Economic Impact Report of New Americans in Kent County, released by the American Immigration Council—in partnership with the Grand Rapids Chamber- underscores immigrants' crucial role in the region’s labor force, business creation, and consumer spending power.
  • Blog

Ahead of Tax Day, Fear of Filing Taxes Rises Among Undocumented Immigrants

April 1, 2025

Written by Steven Hubbard and Micaela McConnell Tax Day is approaching, but the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts may make many undocumented immigrants hesitant to file taxes. Some...

  • Advocacy

Testimony to Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement

Publication Date: 
March 25, 2025
The American Immigration Council testified before Congress about the devastating impact of mass deportations and the diversion of resources meant to protect America into these deportations.
  • Press Release

Trump’s Registration Requirement Means Fear, Uncertainty for Millions of Americans

February 26, 2025
The Trump administration announced a policy that will require many Americans to always carry identification documents with them to prove they are not deportable.
  • Press Release

New Data: Immigrants Keep Economy Strong, As Congress Considers Wasting Billions on Mass Deportation

February 25, 2025
New data shows how immigrants are contributing billions of dollars to the U.S. economy, even as the Trump administration and Congress are pushing for unprecedented funding for mass deportation.
  • Advocacy

Testifying on the Catastrophic Economic and Humane Costs of Mass Deportations

Publication Date: 
December 10, 2024
The American Immigration Council appeared before Congress to address the catastrophic economic and humane costs of mass deportations.
  • Special Report

Building Community and Fueling Growth: The Role of Immigrants in Reviving the Great Lakes Region

Publication Date: 
October 15, 2024
“Building Community and Fueling Growth: The Role of Immigrants in Reviving the Great Lakes Region” was written in partnership with the American Immigration Council (AIC) and is an in-depth analysis...
  • Press Release

NEW REPORT: Immigrants are Fueling Economic Growth, Revitalizing Communities in Great Lakes States

October 15, 2024
A new report describes how immigrants are key to the economic success and future viability of communities across the Great Lakes region.
  • Special Report

Mass Deportation

Publication Date: 
October 2, 2024
The mass deportation of millions of undocumented individuals would be tremendously expensive and would have a catastrophic impact on our economy—one that would be expansive and impact every American...
  • Press Release

New Report Shows How Immigrant Entrepreneurs Create Jobs Across the U.S.

September 9, 2024
A new report from the American Immigration Council highlights how immigrant entrepreneurs create jobs and make the U.S. a more prosperous place.
  • Press Release

New Data Analysis: Immigrants Driving Opportunity, Prosperity in the U.S., Including in Swing States

June 5, 2024
A new analysis of 2022 U.S. census data highlights how, amidst the Biden administration's recent actions to limit asylum access along the U.S.-Mexico border, and in the context of ramped-up anti-immigrant rhetoric during this year’s presidential campaign, immigrants are helping make the United States a more prosperous and economically booming country.

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