LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Undocumented immigration has been at the forefront of the nation's political landscape for years. Changing policies and a federal push for increased immigration enforcement have created confusion and questions among Kentuckians.
LEX 18 reviewed national data and spoke with local experts to get answers to some of those basic questions.
How many undocumented immigrants live in Kentucky?
It is difficult to know just how many undocumented immigrants are living in the Commonwealth at any given point in time, but estimates can give us a rough idea.
The American Immigration Council reports roughly 52,900 undocumented people live in the state.
That's a portion of the roughly 202,900 immigrant residents living in the state, or 4.5% of the population, according to the AIC.
How much do undocumented immigrants contribute to the economy?
Undocumented immigrants make a significant contribution to the Kentucky economy.
The AIC reports they have a total spending power of $883.1 million in the state, and pay $233 million in taxes.
The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) estimates undocumented immigrants pay as much as $119 million in state and local tax dollars.
"Immigrants pay into Medicare and Social Security, but they're not allowed to draw on either of those, [both] undocumented immigrants specifically, and immigrants who never naturalize," said Dustin Pugel, policy director at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. "In many ways they're propping up these programs that benefit all of us in old age while not benefiting from it themselves."
A January report from the Kentucky Center for Economic Report detailed the amount of the Kentucky workforce made up of immigrants, both those with legal status and those without.
According to the center, 12% of construction workers in the state are immigrants and 16% of physicians are immigrants. 5% of the total workforce in Kentucky is made up of immigrants.
Immigrants also account for 13% of "Main Street" business owners in Kentucky.
What do national ICE raids mean for undocumented people in the state?
Mizari Suarez, executive director of the Neighbors Immigration Clinic in Lexington, said misinformation and misunderstanding has led to panic among some community members.
The non-profit, which provides free and low-cost legal assistance for immigrants, has seen an increased call volume since January.
Concerns have grown among immigrants and neighbors as widespread immigration raids in major cities are in the national spotlight.
"What we're seeing throughout the country—we should be concerned, we should be afraid. But I will say, it's not what's happening in Lexington. It's not what's happening in Kentucky," Suarez said.
Suarez, who was previously undocumented herself, said her own experience has informed how she and the non-profit are able to help others lacking legal status.
"My job is not to change people's ideas on immigration. Our job is to outsmart complexity with what we've been given, with the law that we have been given, and making sure that we can help individuals understand that and walk alongside them in that very complex system," she said.
Currently, the clinic is only taking on new clients who have been in the country for less than two years.
Suarez also asks that people not take it upon themselves to confirm ICE sightings in Kentucky to avoid causing panic. Instead, encouraging immigrant neighbors to contact an attorney may be more productive.
She encourages Kentuckians to remember regardless of legal status or background, immigrants are valuable members of their community.
"We're also just humans at the end of the day, right? Who just want a good living, who want to work, and want to provide for our families," she said.
