November 14, 2017. On November 6, 2017, the Trump Administration announced that they were not extending the Temporary Protective Status of individuals from Nicaragua, and that the status for Honduras is currently under consideration. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a status given to individuals from countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, epidemics and other temporary conditions that prevents the safe return of their citizens. This status provides work authorization and protection from deportation to individuals. Rep Joaquin Castro claimed in a tweet that the United States would lose $164 billion in GDP, which was obtained from a Center for American Progress report. This article goes on to discuss that those with TPS not only generate GDP but purchase homes and are significant contributors to many industries such as construction, childcare and landscaping. Politifact determined that Rep. Joaquin Castro accurately cited information in his claim and rated it “half true.”
Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro claimed the U.S. economy would be negatively impacted if the Trump administration eliminated an immigration protection mostly benefitting Central Americans.
“Ending #TPS and deporting legal workers would cost the United States ~$164 billion in GDP over a decade,” Castro tweeted on Nov. 1, ahead of the deadline for the U.S. government to decide on the current TPS status for Honduras and Nicaragua.
Several researchers we reached out to said they had not done their own, independent analysis on this issue, but did not challenge Center for American Progress’ findings.
David Dyssegaard Kallick, director of immigration research at the Fiscal Policy Institute, said it is sound to look at industry output when thinking about GDP loss.
“GDP, after all, is about measuring total output in the economy,” he said.
Here is the link to Politifact.