Los Angeles, CA (News4usOnline) – Civil rights activist Najee Ali is calling attention to the often-overlooked contributions of Black and Brown immigrant communities to the American economy.
Ali emphasized the critical roles these communities play in industries such as agriculture, healthcare, construction, and food service—arguing that without their labor and entrepreneurship, much of the U.S. economy would come to a halt.
With many of these contributions coming from the Black and Brown immigrant community in America, their impact on the economy is still not being recognized—despite factual evidence supported by extensive research and data over the years.
Black and Brown immigrant communities have paid more into taxes and receive little to nothing in return.
Ali, who founded Project Islamic H.O.P.E. (Helping Oppressed People Everywhere), is no stranger to standing up for marginalized communities.
Known for his work in police accountability, gang intervention, and Muslim advocacy, the longtime Los Angeles-based activist is now speaking out on the critical role immigrants play in sustaining the U.S. economy.
“The low wages that Brown and Black immigrants are paid—and oftentimes, the way they are taken advantage of across the board—is because they are undocumented, and employers know this. So they can pay them a wage much lower than minimum wage, which is unfortunate. They need employment to take care of their families, so oftentimes they’ll accept the lowest wage possible just to earn enough money to feed their families for the week. And that’s not fair,” said Ali.
As immigrants become major targets for ICE raids at job sites—where many are farmers, construction workers, nurses, and business owners—we may see a significant reduction in the labor force.
This could eventually affect economic growth and GDP, while also causing a reduction in tax revenue. Undocumented immigrants contribute billions of dollars in taxes annually to federal, state, and local governments, including Social Security and Medicare.
While ICE continues to ramp up raids on a daily basis, despite the significant contributions Brown and Black immigrants make to the economy through their hard work, they are still being seen as threats to society.
Many employers who have hired immigrants under the table are not being given the same treatment as those targeted in the raids.
“This administration is very different from the Obama or even the Biden administration, where they had a focus on cracking down on employers who hired undocumented immigrants and held them accountable—especially if they were not being treated fairly. There were fines, and businesses were being shut down by those administrations that took it seriously. Whereas the Trump administration has turned a blind eye to the employers, but instead terrorized those who are working,” said Ali.
Through their hard work and contributions in agriculture and construction—many even starting businesses of their own—they have continued to help shape the economy into what it is today.
According to the Immigration Policy Institute “Immigrants boost overall economic growth by expanding the labor force and increasing consumer spending. The foreign-born also start new businesses at higher rates than U.S.-born individuals.”
They go on to say “Immigrants were involved in the development of 30 percent of patents in strategic industries in recent years, and more than 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants. Higher-than-expected immigration is driving job growth and productivity and is projected to continue doing so in the coming years. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the greater level of immigration expected between 2024 and 2034 will boost gross domestic product (GDP) by $8.9 trillion.”
As someone who has helped pass legislation such as Sherrice’s Law and has brought attention to injustice, Najee Ali shares what he believes can still be done to help undocumented workers and day laborers, who are being targeted the most.
“I think it’s important that our elected officials continue to craft legislation to protect the lowest of the low—and those are undocumented immigrants who are being terrorized in our communities. I’m grateful to see that today there’s an effort to at least have ICE and law enforcement stop wearing masks. They need to be identified, and hopefully that will add some measure of accountability, because right now we’re seeing law enforcement and ICE even assault and detain—and handcuff—elected officials.”
To the many Black and Brown undocumented immigrants who are helping keep the economy afloat, Ali says they deserve more recognition—not the cruelty and injustices they currently face.
They are the backbone, doing the hardest work—and they’re needed.
“At the end of the day, they don’t get paid a lot of money, but there’s a need for farm workers who pick the fruit and vegetables that come into our markets—so we can buy them and feed our families.
The hospitality industry—that’s a critical function as far as tourism here, and it helps keep a vibrant economy,” Ali said.
He went on to say, “We owe them a debt of gratitude that, quite frankly, we can never repay.”
Featured Image: Local-based community activists, including Najee Ali (left) hold a press conference on Monday, April 1, 2019, to denounce the killing of rapper Nipsey Hussle. Photo by Dennis J. Freeman/News4usonline
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