What impact do immigrants have on Dallas' economy?

DALLAS – According to a recent report from the American Immigration Council, immigrants in the city of Dallas made up 23% of the population in 2022 and contributed billions of dollars in taxes and spending.

The New Americans in Dallas report uses U.S. Census data to examine the role that visa holders and naturalized citizens play in the workforce and in participating in social programs.

The AIC publishes similar reports in cities across the country, and according to the nonprofit's Texas organizer Chelsie Kramer, the overall economic impact of immigrants on Texas is greater than in many other states.

Immigrants make up 17% of Texas' population and 22% of the state's workforce. In Dallas, immigrants make up less than a quarter of the population, but they make up more than 28% of the workforce.

“Places like Houston and Dallas are the poster children when it comes to ensuring that immigrants are fully employed and part of this economic engine that we have here in Texas,” Kramer said.

Two out of almost 300,000

Patricia Blasquez and Ken Tse are just two of the 299,800 immigrants living in Dallas.

Blasquez's family emigrated from the Philippines when she was just 12 years old. Decades earlier, Tse's family emigrated from China when he was 10 years old.

The desire for better opportunities drove both families to the USA.

Tse said his parents fled Communist China for Mississippi.

“They sacrificed their whole lives so that we could have a chance,” said Tse about his parents’ decision to emigrate.

Tse has spent his adult life in the Dallas area, where he founded KMT Architects.

According to the AIC report, immigrants like Tse are 60% more likely to be entrepreneurs than their U.S.-born counterparts, and 15% of immigrants in the region work for their own companies.

Tse said he is proud of his professional accomplishments, but he is also proud of his nonprofit New Hope Compassion, which provides resources to children in war-torn countries. He said this kind of impact, which has less to do with generating profits and more to do with helping others, is often overlooked.

“I don’t have to have a fancy car,” Tse said. “If I can make a difference, that’s a measure of success.”

Blasquez is also proud of the way she gives back. For years, she volunteered with refugees in Dallas' Vickery Meadow neighborhood, a neighborhood known for its large immigrant population. As a communications professional, she currently works at Housing Forward, an organization working to combat homelessness in Dallas and Collin counties.

“I think our city is enriched when we realize that there are many people who contribute to the success of the city,” Blasquez said.

Other key findings from the AIC report

• In 2022, immigrant households in Dallas earned more than $10 billion and contributed $1.6 billion in federal taxes and $900 million in state and local taxes.
• Immigrants in Dallas contributed $1.1 billion to Social Security and $274.5 million to Medicare.
• 26% of Dallas' STEM workforce, 63% of construction workers, and nearly 40% of manufacturing workers are immigrants.

Read the full report here

Kramer said the data debunks what she calls a common myth “that immigrants come to our country for a free lunch.”

“The truth is that immigrants come here to fill the incredible workforce gaps we have across the state,” Kramer said.

A recent Gallup poll found that 55% of U.S. adults would like to see a reduction in immigration to America, up from 41% a year ago. According to Gallup, this is the first time since 2005 that a majority of Americans wanted less immigration.

“I think sometimes people want immediate economic impact, and I think what you'll find with immigrant families is that it's not always immediate,” Blasquez said.

Blasquez said she was always aware of the sacrifices her parents made to give their children more opportunities; Her father's professional qualifications in the Philippines were not transferred to the United States

“When he was cleaning pools, he got in his car and just cried,” Blasquez said.

It wasn't until Blasquez graduated years later that her father told her this story.

“He said, 'Now I understand why I came here,'” Blasquez said her father told her. “‘Maybe the American dream isn’t for me. It's for my children.'”