A National Debate Hits Small Towns
Federal immigration policy is no longer only a border issue. Its effects are increasingly visible in small towns and rural communities where immigrants have helped reverse population decline, fill jobs, sustain schools and strengthen local economies. That was the central message of an American Community Media briefing examining how immigration enforcement is reshaping communities far from the U.S.-Mexico border. Experts described growing labor shortages, demographic pressures, economic uncertainty and fear in communities that have become increasingly dependent on immigrant workers and families. The discussion brought together Tim Slack of Louisiana State University, Jennie Murray of the National Immigration Forum, Rachel Perić of Welcoming America, former Storm Lake police chief Mark Prosser, and Dr. Carl Ruby, senior pastor of Central Christian Church in Springfield, Ohio.
Immigrants and the American Workforce
Jennie Murray placed the experiences of small towns within a broader national economic picture. She said immigrants remain deeply connected to the American workforce at virtually every skill level. “We have key roles being plugged all across our entire workforce by all kinds of talent at every level,” Murray said. She warned that deportations, self-deportations and the loss of work authorization for people who previously held temporary protections are shrinking the available labor force while also reducing tax revenue and consumer spending. Murray also challenged the perception that Americans are completely divided over immigration. “Immigrants add value, and we need to have a fair, firm and compassionate set of solutions,” she said. Murray argued that immigration enforcement can focus on violent criminals without removing established workers, neighbors and families who contribute to their communities.
A Demographic Lifeline
Tim Slack, professor of sociology at Louisiana State University and an expert in rural demography, said immigration has become a demographic lifeline for many communities. “Immigration has provided a population lifeline to many rural communities, offsetting the population loss that would have occurred in their absence,” Slack said. Rural America experienced an unprecedented overall population decline between 2010 and 2020, he explained, as older residents aged and younger residents moved away for education and employment opportunities. Immigrants and nonwhite residents helped offset those losses in many counties. Slack noted that approximately one in three rural children are now nonwhite, illustrating how dramatically rural America is changing. Without new working-age residents, he warned, communities face shrinking tax bases, labor shortages and school closures. “If rural communities in this country are going to survive, immigration has to be part of that equation,” Slack said.
Building Communities of Trust
Rachel Perić, executive director of Welcoming America, focused on the importance of trust and relationships between newcomers and longtime residents. She said many local communities are seeing “a real breakdown in trust and relationships and fracturing in communities” as immigration enforcement produces fear and uncertainty. At the same time, Perić said some towns are strengthening efforts to help newcomers establish roots and participate fully in community life. She pointed to communities such as Emporia, Kansas, where leaders have worked deliberately to recognize immigrants as valued contributors. “We can’t make our communities whole, and we can’t make our communities function if we don’t have efforts to create an environment where people want to come and want to put down roots,” Perić said. Welcoming immigrants, she argued, benefits not only immigrant families but entire communities by strengthening civic participation, economic activity and relationships among neighbors.
Iowa Shows the Transformation
Mark Prosser described the transformation he witnessed during his three decades as police chief in Storm Lake, Iowa. Immigration helped change what had been a shrinking, predominantly white rural community into one that was growing economically and becoming increasingly diverse. “The growth and the vitality and the energy that has been brought to rural communities in Iowa, especially northwest Iowa, has been 100% immigrant growth and immigrant impact,” Prosser said. Schools grew instead of consolidating, industries found workers, and businesses expanded. But increased immigration enforcement has introduced a different reality. Prosser said fear is causing immigrants to stay away from work, medical appointments, court appearances, churches and grocery stores. Those decisions ultimately affect the entire community. Reflecting on the broader significance of immigration, Prosser said, “This country was built on the backs of immigrants, and this country will be sustained on the backs of immigrants.”
Fear Reaches Springfield
In Springfield, Ohio, Dr. Carl Ruby described the impact in deeply personal terms. Springfield had experienced decades of population decline before thousands of Haitian immigrants arrived and helped revive the local economy. “They brought with them an economic resurgence,” Ruby said. Haitians opened businesses and churches, joined the workforce, supported existing companies and helped create demand for new housing. Today, however, immigration enforcement and changes in legal protections have created fear among many families. Ruby said people from his congregation have been fitted with ankle monitors or called to report to immigration authorities, while others are afraid to leave their homes. “We normally would have about 50 Haitians in a church service, and we had almost none this past Sunday,” he said.
Faith Communities Respond
Ruby said churches and other organizations in Springfield are responding by providing practical assistance and moral support. Faith communities have organized networks to help immigrant families with food, transportation, sanctuary and other needs. His own church distributed cards carrying a simple message to Haitian neighbors: “God loves you and so do we. We’re glad you’re in Springfield.” Ruby said he hopes Springfield ultimately becomes known not merely for controversy surrounding immigration, but for the way residents rallied around neighbors who felt threatened. Despite the uncertainty, his faith remains a source of optimism. “Part of what gives me hope is I believe that deep down, most Americans don’t like what they’re seeing and understand the value of immigration,” Ruby said.
The Future of Rural America
The speakers approached immigration from different professional perspectives, but they repeatedly returned to the same conclusion. For many small towns, immigrants are not simply newcomers. They are workers, business owners, students, taxpayers, church members, caregivers and neighbors whose presence is closely tied to the survival and growth of their communities. As federal immigration enforcement intensifies, the consequences will therefore extend beyond immigrant households. Schools, churches, employers, health facilities and local governments may also feel the effects. The question facing rural America is increasingly not simply how immigration will change these communities, but whether many of them can continue to thrive without it.