A coalition of immigrant youth, Latino, and Black-led organizations have united to launch dozens of billboards across a number of states that send a clear, unequivocal message: immigrants are welcome here. The Arizona Center for Empowerment, Haitian Bridge Alliance, United We Dream, and Voces de la Frontera have teamed up to place more than 35 bilingual billboards in Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Wisconsin and Ohio proclaiming that “Immigrants are welcome here,” “The Rockies welcome everyone,” and “Everything’s bigger in Texas … including our love for immigrants,” among a number of affirming messages directed at immigrant families who have built lives here.
“These billboards are a bold and unapologetic declaration of immigrants’ humanity,” said United We Dream Director of Communications Anabel Mendoza, “and a reminder that we have the power to uplift and care for one another, to protect and welcome immigrants, and to reject this hate, regardless of our status.”
The billboards come as harmful lies have targeted Haitian immigrants in Springfield, OH. where their contributions have helped revitalize the region over the past several years. But recent disinformation has since endangered the entire community, following dozens of bomb threats that have led to school shutdowns and building evacuations. Guerline Jozef, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Haitian Bridge Alliance, said we must “reject this hatred at every turn.”
“Haitian immigrants in Springfield are part of the fabric of this city,” Jozef said. “We refuse to allow this dehumanizing and violent rhetoric against our communities to become commonplace. Together with United We Dream, we launched these billboards in Ohio to demonstrate what those in Springfield truly believe, from the business community to educational leaders to community members alike – immigrants are welcome here.”
Immigrant households in Ohio make vast contributions at the local, state, and federal level, paying $7 billion in taxes annually, according to data from the American Immigration Council. These workers also help keep Social Security solvent for the benefit of all Americans, contributing $2.4 billion to the program annually. Among these contributors is Daniel Campere, a Haitian immigrant and auto parts worker in Springfield. He arrived in the U.S. more than a decade ago, and for a while worked busing farmworkers within Florida before hearing about other job opportunities in Ohio.
He now makes a good salary, has been building a retirement account for himself, and has been contributing to his community. “We pay bills and taxes like everybody else,” he recently told The New York Times.
Another state where advocates have placed a welcoming message can’t be America’s dairyland without immigrant workers. In Wisconsin, the National Milk Producers Federation estimated in 2014 that just over half of the state’s dairy workers are immigrants. Overall, immigrant-led households in Wisconsin pay $3 billion in local, state, and federal taxes annually. Nearly 200,000 immigrants are in the state’s labor force, specializing in fields ranging from software development to agriculture. Wisconsin’s positive population growth has also been thanks to immigrants. Wisconsin Public Radio reported in January that most of the 20,000 individuals who moved to the state between July 2022 and July 2023 were immigrants.
Our billboards are officially cooking in Texas 🔥 We’re treating immigrants with the Southern hospitality they deserve by giving them a warm welcome to the Lone Star State. pic.twitter.com/f8H5FmnBCt
— United We Dream 🍊 (@UNITEDWEDREAM) October 6, 2024
Immigrant households are also major contributors in Arizona and Colorado, paying a cumulative $15.7 billion in total taxes, and particularly in Texas, where they pay $50.3 billion in total taxes annually. Texas is also home to the second largest population of DACA recipients in the nation. The nearly 11,000 DACA recipients that call Dallas home contributed more than $35 million in local and state taxes in 2022. Past research from the Center for American Progress found that DACA recipients also outpaced U.S.-born Americans when it comes to opening a business.
DACA beneficiaries in Texas and across the country have also helped keep the Social Security and Medicare programs alive through their taxes, contributing more than $2 billion annually.
“From our dynamic urban centers to our hardworking rural communities, Wisconsinites know that immigrants are decent, hardworking, and respectful people who come to our state seeking a better life,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director at Voces de la Frontera. “Their presence enriches our economy, culture, and the prosperity of our communities.” You can see more billboard images here.
Dallas Immigrants Paid Nearly One Billion In Local and State Taxes in 2022, Research Finds
