Myths

There are many government sources, as well as non-government ones, that provide data to debunk myths about immigrants, undocumented immigrants, and Latinos/Hispanics. Again, the National Resources section of the CJ webpage provides links to some of them.

Among the most popular myths are:

MYTH: Immigrants don’t pay taxes.
FACT: In 2010, 47% of Americans paid no federal income taxes at all for 2009 because either their incomes were too low, or they qualified for enough credits, deductions and exemptions to eliminate their liability. Not included in this statistic are many U.S. born who don’t pay payroll taxes because they are paid under the table. On the other hand, almost all immigrants pay income taxes, sales and property taxes. Even, according to Social Security, ¾ of undocumented workers pay payroll takes. All immigrants pay property and sales taxes.

MYTH: Immigrants are a drain on our social services.
FACT: By paying taxes, including Social Security, immigrants contribute far more to government coffers than they use in social services, especially undocumented immigrants who don’t qualify for most federal and state local assistance programs.

MYTH: Immigrants have a negative impact on the economy and the wages of citizens and take jobs away from citizens.
FACT: Immigration has a positive effect on the American economy as a whole and on the income of native-born workers.

MYTH: Immigrants send all their money back to their home countries instead of spending money here.
FACT: Immigrants do send money to family members, making it possible for more people to stay in their home countries rather than migrating to the United States. At the same time, Latinos spending and purchasing power – $1trillion – is growing faster than the purchasing power of any other group.

MYTH: Immigrants bring crime to our cities and towns.
FACT: Immigrants are actually far less likely to commit crimes than their native-born counterparts. Even as the undocumented population has increased in the United States, crime rates have decreased significantly.

These and other myths are explored in references provided on this webpage. Myths are often compiled in fact sheets; some of the most recent are:

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