Reference News Network, August 27 report. According to the website of the U.S. "New York Times" on August 21, a new study found that for the first time in decades, more immigrants are leaving the United States than entering it. This indicates that President Trump's tough immigration policies are causing people to leave the U.S.—whether they are deported by the government or choose to leave voluntarily.

The nonpartisan Pew Research Center released the latest census data analysis on August 21, showing that the U.S. immigrant population has seen a "net outflow" for the first time in decades. Between January and June this year, the foreign population in the U.S. (including legal and illegal immigrants) decreased by nearly 1.5 million. As of June, the total number of immigrants in the U.S. was 51.9 million, down from 53.3 million six months earlier.

U.S. government officials under the Trump administration welcomed the "net outflow" of immigrants, saying that the pressure on government services has eased and the job market has rebounded. Some supporters of cracking down on illegal immigrants even said that the current level of crackdown is not enough.

However, experts predict that if this trend continues, the U.S. will face negative economic and demographic consequences. Immigrants are a key workforce in many industries, and as more baby boomers retire, the U.S. is becoming increasingly dependent on immigrants.

The net number of immigrants—defined as the difference between the number of immigrants entering and those leaving—has turned negative. According to Jeffrey Passel, chief demographer at the Pew Research Center, this shift is "a definite factor in population matters" so far this year.

One of the authors of the report, economist Tara Watson from the Brookings Institution, stated: "A sharp decline in the number of immigrants will harm the economy."

She said that political resistance and legal challenges may prompt the Trump administration to ease its anti-immigration policies, thereby mitigating the impact. However, recent legislation passed by the Republican-controlled Congress has significantly increased funding for immigration enforcement, indicating that such restrictive policies may persist throughout Trump's term.

Watson pointed out that if this continues, "we may see a continued decline in the number of immigrants," which would weaken the U.S.'s competitiveness in attracting global talent. She said, "If the situation worsens, the U.S. will no longer be the preferred place for people to conduct scientific or technological research, which could have intergenerational impacts."

Professor Doyle Myers of the University of Southern California's Department of Population Studies said, "We have an increasing number of people over 65 who are not in the labor force. Newborns will take 20 years to make an impact, but young immigrants can contribute immediately."

He emphasized, "If we aggressively crack down on immigrants, reducing the flow of immigrants and thus impacting the labor market, we will all feel the negative consequences in our daily lives."

He said that restaurants, farms, and assisted living facilities are already facing labor shortages, and these shortages may become worse in the future. These jobs are often filled by undocumented immigrants. According to Pew Research Center data, the number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. reached 14 million in 2023, accounting for about 4% of the U.S. population and a quarter of the foreign population.

The atmosphere of fear created by strong enforcement has severely disrupted the daily lives of immigrant families. Across the country, many immigrant families are reducing their outings. Reports of deportees being sent to countries like South Sudan or their broken homelands have prompted some to choose voluntary departure rather than risk detention and deportation.

Lilian Divina Light, 46, chose to use a newly introduced self-deportation program to return to Brazil. Light previously worked as a housekeeper in North Carolina, and she said she began to feel panicked when she saw immigrants "being chased like criminals."

"I've never done anything wrong in my life," she said, "and suddenly I could be put in jail."

Patrick Garcia, executive director of an advocacy organization in Charlotte, North Carolina, said that to his knowledge, at least 10 immigrant families have voluntarily left, returning to South America and Central America.

He said, "What was once rare has now become routine." He expects the number of departures to increase as Christmas and winter approach.

Garcia said, "People are desperately saving money to leave before the end of the year." (Translated by Yang Xuele)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7543118060484362815/

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