Lobbying group estimates cost of Trump’s immigration plans

Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s immigration proposals have generated a lot of fear in Florida’s immigrant communities. But some research done by a lobbying group shows that Trump’s plans would be prohibitively expensive. The group has also released the results of a poll showing most independent voters are opposed to his plans.

The group, FWD.us, was created by Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, to lobby for immigration reform. According to the group’s calculations, Trump’s plan to deport 11.3 people could cost as much as $935 billion over the next 20 years. The group also notes that the taxes paid by undocumented immigrants in the U.S. amount to about $11.64 billion every year.

Deporting all undocumented immigrants would also wreak havoc on the U.S. economy, researchers said. According to FWD.us, 48 percent of agricultural workers would have to leave the country, as would 11 percent of all restaurant workers.

The group recently polled 600 voters in Florida, Colorado and Nevada. The poll results show that about two-thirds of the independent voters in those critical swing states are opposed to Trump’s plans to deport all undocumented immigrants, revoke the citizenship of children born in the U.S. to undocumented parents, build a wall along the Mexican border and ban Muslims from entering the country.

The research and the poll results should provide some hope to immigrants in Florida, inasmuch as they show Trump’s plans are unlikely to become reality. Those who are unsure of their options can benefit from consulting a knowledgeable immigration law firm. For many, it may be the beginning of the path to permanent residency and ultimately citizenship.

Source: Houston Chronicle, “Facebook founder launches website against Trump’s immigration plan,” Lomi Kriel, July 18, 2016