Council Hosts Webinar on Economic Impact of Mass Deportation

The Bay Area Council Economic Institute this week (July 16) hosted a timely and widely attended webinar to discuss its report, The Economic Impact of Mass Deportation in California. The first-of-its-kind study examines how mass deportation policies would affect California’s workforce, economy, and communities, combining original economic modeling with extensive stakeholder interviews.

The event featured opening remarks by Dr. Sandra Hernández, President and CEO of the California Health Care Foundation, and a presentation of findings by report co-authors Abby Raisz (Bay Area Council Economic Institute) and Dr. Maria-Elena Young (UC Merced). Panelists included George Carrillo of the Hispanic Construction Council, Bryan Little of the California Farm Bureau, and Huy Tran of the Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network (SIREN).

The findings paint a stark picture: deporting California’s 2.28 million undocumented residents – who make up 8% of the state’s workforce – could shrink the state’s GDP by up to $278 billion and result in more than $23 billion in lost annual tax revenues. Industries like agriculture and construction, which rely heavily on immigrant labor, would be hit hardest, creating ripple effects across the economy.