When people think of immigration in New York State, they think about New York City. Yes, of the 4.5 million immigrants who live in New York State, 3.1 million live in New York City. But I want to take a moment to talk about the contributions of the other 1.4 million immigrants living in other regions spread out across New York State, and how mass deportation threatens all these communities and local economies.
In regions outside of New York City, immigrants are vital to farming, entrepreneurship, helping to reverse population decline, filling construction and other important jobs in the domestic care industry and more.
Farming
There are over 30,000 farms across every county in New York State, mostly outside of New York City, with approximately 57,000 to 67,000 farmworkers in New York State. The farming economy has a market value of $8 billion each year, making New York a top producer in the U.S. of yogurt, apples, milk and wine.
Domestic Care, Construction, Restaurants, and More
Across New York, immigrants play a vital role in the construction industry building our homes and businesses, in the domestic care economy and healthcare industry as home health aides, doctors and nurses taking care of our loved ones, at restaurants as cooks preparing our meals, and as professors and teaching assistants helping to advance education.
Business Ownership
Business owners play an important role in all regions of the state. Immigrants make up 33% of business owners in the Lower Hudson Valley, 15% in both the Capital region and the Mid-Hudson Valley, 11% in Western New York, 10% in the Mohawk Valley, another 10% in the Southern Tier, 9% in the Finger Lakes, another 9% in Central New York, and 6% in the North Country. In each of those regions immigrants are a higher share of business owners than of the population.
Immigrants are especially likely to own “Main Street” businesses: grocery stores, restaurants, clothing stores, dry cleaners, and other small shops that give an area its character. These specialty markets, diverse restaurants and grocery stores are a rich mix of the diverse cultures of immigrants living in these cities. For example, Bleecker Street in Utica and areas of East Utica, International House (formerly the Downtown Bazaar) in Buffalo, and Salt City Market in Syracuse.
Reversing Population Decline
Immigrants are a key to reversing population decline in upstate cities such as Utica, Syracuse, Buffalo, Rochester and Albany that have seen a longstanding decline in population and labor force. Take the city of Buffalo for example, which is currently less than half the size it was in 1950, where population loss is beginning to stabilize due to immigrants and the city’s history of resettling refugees. Over the past 20 years (2000 to 2022), the U.S.-born population of Buffalo shrank by 31,000, offset by an increase in the immigrant population of 15,000, leading to a net loss that is half what it would have been.
What’s clear is: mass deportation policies are and would not only impact New York City negatively, they would impact every region of the state. Take for example, the arrest of seasonal immigrant workers in Lake Placid, who contribute tremendously to the successful seasonal tourist economy, or the intimidation and arrests of immigrant workers at a tomato greenhouse and packing plant in Ontario, New York or hospital workers in Syracuse. There are many more examples of our neighbors and workers being detained who contribute tremendously to our communities and local economies.
As these workers and neighbors are arrested or detained, businesses will close or shrink, the number of jobs for both immigrant and U.S.-born workers will decline, the cost of living will increase, and downtown areas will lose their flare.
To learn how immigrants are vital to your region of New York, click here.
