It is hard right now to quantify the impact that immigrants leaving the country are having on the national economy. Soon enough, though, a think tank will put pencil to paper and we should have a better idea. But it stands to reason that those of us who through the years have seen cities revitalized from one coast to the other will not be surprised at the data that will show a downtick in economic activity and increased joblessness across the board. Indeed, entire towns and industries in the Midwest and in the South are being saved from extinction by immigrants who do work no one else wants.
We seem to forget so quickly that a growing population drives an economy forward. It is a simple lesson. The term ‘ghost town’ might invoke scenes from old western movies but it also is an economic epitaph: No people, no economy. No economy, no city.