Immigration has been quietly powering the population growth, neighborhood revitalization, innovation, entrepreneurship, and broad diversity upon which a bright future for Detroit’s neighborhoods and current residents can be secured. New data released this week by the New American Economy, a collection of more than 500 Republican, Democratic, and independent mayors and business leaders who support immigration reforms, in partnership with the Detroit Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and Global Detroit, confirm the powerful contributions that immigrant Detroiters have been making to the critical issues facing Detroit’s future.
The data report, “New Americans in Detroit,” provides a snapshot of the demographic and economic contributions of immigrants in the city. It highlights the fact that Detroit’s immigrant population grew by more than 4,000 residents or 12.1 percent between 2010-2014, while the U.S.-born population, unfortunately, continued to decline by more than 30,000 residents or 4.2 percent. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has noted that the single most important metric upon which to judge the city’s health is population growth and these numbers paint a clear picture — consistent with the experience of every major American Rust Belt city — that stabilizing Detroit’s population requires robust immigration. In fact, no major American city has rebounded from decades of population loss without significant immigration growth.
Read the full article from The Detroit News: Opinion: Immigrants revitalize Detroit
Read the report from New American Economy: New Americans in Detroit
