Amid Federal Attacks on Immigrant Families, Maryland Should Commit to Inclusive Policies
Continuing its attacks on immigrant communities, the Trump Administration recently attempted to do away with the ban on keeping children detained indefinitely and discontinue deferred deportation for immigrants receiving medical treatment. The administration’s new public charge rule, which will make it more difficult for immigrants to qualify for visas and permanent residency if they access safety net programs that they are legally eligible for or don’t meet stringent income requirements, was scheduled to take effect October 15 but was delayed due to a pending court case.
Regardless of the ultimate outcome of the public charge case, Maryland policymakers should double down on policies that help to remove barriers to success for immigrants and their families.
Maryland can foster community well-being and strengthen its economy by adopting policies that afford all residents, regardless of their immigration status, the opportunity to thrive. Maryland is home to about 250,000 residents who are undocumented. Despite the Trump Administration’s harmful rhetoric and administrative actions targeting these individuals and their families, people who are undocumented have continued to make significant contributions to our communities and economy. More than half of Maryland’s undocumented residents have lived in the U.S. for more than 10 years and about one in seven have lived here for 20 years or more. Maryland households headed by a person who is undocumented pay a larger share of their income in state and local taxes than the top 1 percent of U.S. households. Each year, they pay more than $300 million in state and local taxes and would pay an additional $85 million if provided a pathway to citizenship. Many Marylanders who are undocumented also pay income tax and property tax through home ownership or indirectly by renting a home, and they pay into Medicare and Social Security even though they are unlikely to ever benefit from those programs. Giving these Marylanders access to better opportunities would enable them to earn higher wages, spend more at local businesses, and contribute even more via their taxes to schools and other public investments that are critical to a strong economy.
Expand in-state tuition for Dreamers
“Dreamers,” young adults who came to the U.S. as children and have legal status through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, contribute academically and culturally as higher education students, but the current law limits how and when they can qualify for in-state tuition. The current law allows Dreamers to receive in-county tuition rates at Maryland community colleges in the county where they attended high school. After completing 60 credits, these students can transfer to 4 year public institution with in-state tuition.
Earlier this year the General Assembly passed legislation, which Governor Hogan vetoed, that would have allowed Dreamers who are accepted to a Maryland state college or university to attend with in-state tuition straight out of high school. As a result, Dreamers would be able to choose the school that is best for them and have more opportunity to engage in sports programs and other enriching extracurricular activities. This legislation would have also extended the period of time that Dreamers qualify for in-state tuition from four years after graduating high school to six years. This is important for students who may need to take time off from school to save money for tuition or who choose rigorous academic programs that are difficult to complete in only four years.
Legislators should commit to overturning the Governor’s veto at the start of the 2020 Maryland legislative session. Expanding opportunities for Dreamers to attend Maryland’s universities will allow them to engage more meaningfully with campus communities and prepare to join Maryland’s workforce with qualifications that are attractive to today’s employers. Policies like these are good for the college classroom and Maryland’s economy.
Strengthen labor law enforcement and worker protections
An estimated 37 percent of undocumented foreign-born workers are paid less than the minimum wage, compared to 21 percent of authorized foreign-born workers and 16 percent of U.S.-born workers. These lost wages increase poverty and lower income tax revenues, harming workers and their families, public revenues, and the economy. Maryland policymakers can create a stronger, more inclusive economy by making sure businesses follow the rules and pay all working people, regardless of immigration status, what they earn. Doing so would even the playing field for both businesses and workers in the state.
All Maryland workers are likely to benefit from policies that remove barriers to opportunity for people who are undocumented. Added immigrant labor has slightly positive effects on the wages of native-born workers overall. That is partly because immigrants add to both the number of workers and the number of consumers, resulting in more production and hiring. Additionally, paying immigrants fair wages benefits all workers by preventing employers from skirting the law.
Extend health coverage to all Maryland children
Maryland policymakers can create a more inclusive state and stronger economy by expanding access to health care to all children, regardless of immigration status. Children’s access to health insurance can lead to better long-term health outcomes, greater high school and college completion, and higher incomes in adulthood as a result, but nearly a third of the nation’s one million children who are undocumented lack health coverage. Ensuring that every child in Maryland is able to access the care they need to grow into healthy and productive adults is good for our state as a whole.
