Civic Contributions: Immigrant Taxes in The DC Metropolitan Area The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Thursday, November 1, 2007 Michael Fix Migration Policy Institute

Almost Half of Cities with 1 Million or More Foreign-Born Residents Are in the US

2004: over 1 million immigrants in DC area. 2000: they paid almost $10 billion in taxes. Immigrants’ share of taxes (18%) was almost as high as their share of households (21%) despite lower incomes ($78,000 vs. $88,000). Immigrants paid almost a quarter of all taxes in Montgomery and Fairfax counties. NOVA and suburban MD immigrants paid 8% of all state taxes in VA and MD. Our Tax Study of DC Area Immigrants: Main Findings

Immigrants Paid $10 Billion in Taxes Tax Immigrant Households All Households % from Immigrants Total, all taxes9,77155, % Federal Taxes7,03040, % Income Tax 3,92424, % Social Security 1 2,42012, % Medicare , % State Tax1,6439, % Income tax 1,0796, % Sales tax , % Auto taxes and fees % Tax on cigarettes and alcohol % Local Tax1,0985, % Real property tax , % Income tax , % Sales tax % Auto taxes and fees % Utility and telephone taxes %

72% of Taxes Paid by Immigrants Go to Federal Government $9.8 billion in taxes, Federal Taxes $7 billion 72%

Rate of Total and LEP Enrollment Growth: From 1994 to 2005 Maryland Source: National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition & Language Instruction Educational Programs (NCELA), 2006

Virginia Source: National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition & Language Instruction Educational Programs (NCELA), 2006 Rate of Total and LEP Enrollment Growth: From 1995 to 2005 LEP Enrollment Total Enrollment

Note: Based on adjusted Census 2000 PUMS Mean Household Taxes Paid, by Country and Region of Birth Mean Household Taxes Paid (in thousands of dollars) Natives = $31

Note: Based on adjusted Census 2000 PUMS Mean Household Taxes Paid, by Nativity and Legal Status Mean Household Taxes Paid (in thousands of dollars)

Note: Based on adjusted Census 2000 PUMS Mean Household Taxes Paid, by Nativity and Education of Household Head Mean Household Taxes Paid (in thousands of dollars)

Note: Based on adjusted Census 2000 PUMS Mean Household Taxes Paid for Immigrant Households, by English Proficiency of Household Head Mean Household Taxes Paid (in thousands of dollars) Natives = $31

DC ESL Need: LPRs 10,056 LPRs need English instruction Assuming 110 hours to increase one ESL level 462 thousand hours per year ESL to bring LPRs to English proficiency 2.8 million hours over 6 years to reach English proficiency Source: MPI tabulations of 2000 Census data and 2005 CPS, with imputations of legal status by Urban Institute

VA ESL Need: LPRs 74,022 LPRs need English instruction Assuming 110 hours to increase one ESL level 3.1 million hours per year ESL to bring LPRs to English proficiency 18.5 million hours over 6 years to reach English proficiency Source: MPI tabulations of 2000 Census data and 2005 CPS, with imputations of legal status by Urban Institute

MD ESL Need: LPRs 59,905 LPRs need English instruction Assuming 110 hours to increase one ESL level 2.5 million hours per year ESL to bring LPRs to English proficiency 15.0 million hours over 6 years to reach English proficiency Source: MPI tabulations of 2000 Census data and 2005 CPS, with imputations of legal status by Urban Institute

DC ESL Need: Unauthorized 14,939 unauthorized immigrants need English instruction Assuming 110 hours to increase one ESL level 690 thousand hours per year to unauthorized to English proficiency 4.1 million hours over 6 years to reach English proficiency Source: MPI tabulations of 2000 Census data and 2005 CPS, with imputations of legal status by Urban Institute

VA ESL Need: Unauthorized 95,764 unauthorized immigrants need English instruction Assuming 110 hours to increase one ESL level 4.4 million hours per year to unauthorized to English proficiency 26.4 million hours over 6 years to reach English proficiency Source: MPI tabulations of 2000 Census data and 2005 CPS, with imputations of legal status by Urban Institute

MD ESL Need: Unauthorized 69,066 unauthorized immigrants need English instruction Assuming 110 hours to increase one ESL level 3.1 million hours per year to unauthorized to English proficiency 18.5 million hours over 6 years to reach English proficiency Source: MPI tabulations of 2000 Census data and 2005 CPS, with imputations of legal status by Urban Institute

Employed College-Educated Workers in in Unskilled Occupations by Nativity: 2005/2006 DC / VA / MD, 2005/2006 Source: American Community Survey, pooled 2005 and 2006 Notes: *Refers to persons from Europe, Canada, and Oceania. Percent of college-educated workers in unskilled occupations 14% US born Europe* Latin America AsiaAfrica

Find data, reports and other analysis by state and for the nation at … 2006 ACS data and new databases coming online soon! For More Information

For more information, contact: Michael Fix Vice President Migration Policy Institute th Street, NW Washington, DC (202)