Immigration Enforcement’s Economic Cost Report News Conference
Video
The news conference highlighted a new UIC Great Cities Institute report, titled Hunkering Down: The Hidden Economic Cost of Federal Immigration Enforcement in Cook County, IL, examining how heightened federal immigration enforcement affected travel patterns and commercial activity across Cook County. Researchers presented findings showing that cross-community retail and restaurant visits from neighborhoods with relatively high shares of Latin America–born residents declined by roughly 9 and 10 percent, respectively, corresponding to an estimated $1.26 billion in foregone commercial activity and $107 million in foregone local sales-tax revenue. The event also featured local government, research, nonprofit, and business leaders discussing the broader economic and community consequences of these changes in mobility.