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Opinion | Michigan needs immigrants. Court rulings betray ideals and economic reality
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Michigan faces one of the country’s most serious demographic challenges. An aging population, shrinking workforce and declining tax base all threaten our long-term economic growth. Immigration is one of the few proven ways to reverse those trends.
Over the last 15 years, virtually all of Michigan’s population growth has come from immigrants. At Global Detroit, where I serve as executive director, our research has found that, while immigrants make up only about 7% of Michigan’s population, they account for 12% of business owners and 16% of Main Street entrepreneurs – owners of restaurants, grocery stores, dry cleaners, and other neighborhood businesses that anchor our communities.
These are not abstract statistics. They represent employers creating jobs, families buying homes, children attending our schools, and taxpayers supporting our communities.
Yet, two June 2026 Supreme Court decisions threaten our asylum system and Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a program created by Congress to allow people from countries devastated by war, political instability, or natural disasters to remain legally in the United States. Combined with the near shutdown of the refugee resettlement program, these policies have narrowed every legal pathway for people seeking safety. The Center for Migration Studies at the University of Minnesota estimates that there are 49,000 Michigan residents living under TPS or in process seeking asylum.
Another 70,000 Michigan residents—now green card holders or citizens—arrived in the US as refugees.
It’s sadly ironic that the rulings came shortly before the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which proclaimed the ideals that inspired us to become a beacon to the world.
My Jewish grandparents fled persecution in Eastern Europe and found refuge in Detroit in the 1920s. Those relatives who remained in Poland were killed in the Holocaust. This kind of history is woven throughout the story of Michigan, which has benefited from those seeking refuge not just a century ago but today as well.
Immigrants strengthened our economy, built our communities and helped shape our understanding of what it means to be an American and to live in a nation founded upon these inalienable rights.
Today’s debates often ignore those principles.
Immigration is framed as a threat. Political rhetoric has portrayed immigrants as criminals, invaders or burdens. Such language distorts reality and undermines the values that distinguish the United States.
Beyond the moral questions lies an undeniable economic reality.
That is why even Republican leaders in states facing labor shortages warn against policies that remove legally authorized workers. Ohio’s Republican Governor Mike DeWine characterized June’s Supreme Court decisions as “bad for Ohio,” noting that the decision is “a job killer for Ohio. It’s a job killer for Springfield (the town where Trump falsely labeled Haitian immigrants as eating pets.) It’s not good for our state.”
The people arriving today are no different from those who came before them. They want safety, opportunity and the chance to build better lives. It was true for my Jewish ancestors, as well as the Latino, Asian and Chaldean immigrants who followed to make Michigan their home.
In this month of celebrating 250 years as a nation, we should remember that our greatness comes from not just military strength or economic power but ideals and a willingness to extend opportunity to those seeking freedom.
For Michigan, welcoming immigrants is not simply an act of compassion. It is an investment in our economy and our communities. If we truly believe in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, we should ensure those principles continue to guide the nation we aspire to be.
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