Undocumented but Indispensable: The Immigration Debate America Keeps Dodging
ICE raids, labor shortages, visa overstays, and political theater—what if we dropped the drama and faced the numbers?
This week, ICE raids across Los Angeles sparked a firestorm. Hundreds of undocumented immigrants were detained in surprise operations, triggering protests, TikToks, and more outrage than a Kardashian wedding. Governor Newsom, never one to miss a camera op, called the raids "inhumane" and is reportedly suing the Trump administration. Meanwhile, Marines were sent in—yes, actual troops—for crowd control. Are we in a dystopian reboot of Designated Survivor or just another Wednesday in 2025?1
And yet, beneath the headlines and heat, a colder truth remains: much of our society runs on the labor of the very people being deported. You know, the folks doing the jobs everyone complains about but no one actually wants to do.
The Work No One Else Wants (But Still Has to Be Done)
America’s relationship with undocumented labor is basically that of a toxic situationship. We ghost them publicly, then call them when the toilet's clogged or the lettuce needs picking.
Undocumented immigrants make up 4.6% to 6.7% of the U.S. workforce despite being just 3.3% of the population.23 That’s not an opinion. That’s math.
They’re doing the literal heavy lifting:
13–14% of all construction and agriculture workers? Undocumented.
25% of all housekeeping cleaners? Also undocumented.
Over one-third of all drywall installers, stucco masons, and roofers? Yep. Them too.
So if you think ICE raids won’t eventually mess with your UberEats ETA or the cost of your avocado toast, think again.
This isn’t about job theft. It’s about job vacancy. Because let’s be honest: no one with a liberal arts degree and a dog-themed Instagram is applying for these roles.
This dynamic isn't new. In fact, it was the premise of the 2004 mockumentary A Day Without a Mexican, which imagined what would happen if every undocumented worker vanished overnight. Spoiler: California doesn’t just stumble—it basically faceplants into a wall of economic paralysis. A bit over twenty years later, that hypothetical feels a lot less like satire and a lot more like Monday.
Also—while we’re on the topic—let’s be clear: not all undocumented immigrants are from Latin America. Some come from Asia, Europe, Africa, and elsewhere. Roughly 40% are visa overstays, not border hoppers, which means they flew here legally and just... didn’t leave.4
What the Parties Are Offering (Besides Existential Dread)
The Trump admin is basically playing Whac-A-Mole with humans: deport first, tweet later. They’ve slashed asylum, suspended refugee intake, and expanded raids to places like schools and hospitals—because nothing says "freedom" like snatching people from a clinic waiting room.5
Democrats? Their plan is...vibes-based policymaking. Hope, hashtags, and something-something dignity. But when it comes to actual frameworks? Let’s just say your phone’s Notes app has seen more comprehensive drafts.
Meanwhile, real reform is caught in the same place your Amazon returns get stuck: the bipartisan abyss. Congress can agree on naming post offices, but immigration? LOL no.
A Realist Immigration Policy (AKA: The Middle Path That No One Funds)
Let’s try being adults for a second. Here's a policy idea: what if we made immigration work for both the economy and national security?
Here’s what that might look like:
Streamline work visas. If we need workers in agriculture, construction, elder care, etc., stop making them wait three years and pay four grand just to be told "no."
Earned legal status. Think of it like merit-based probation: show up, work hard, pay taxes, stay out of trouble? You get a shot.
Hold employers accountable. If your favorite brunch spot pays staff under the table, maybe don’t just yell at the dishwasher.
Target actual criminals. ICE should be focused on cartel operatives, not the guy fixing your drywall.
Support integration. English classes, civics training, and cultural onboarding—because America has its own quirks. Like small talk. And Costco.
Dynamic quotas. If we treat immigration like a static number instead of a dynamic workforce lever, we’re just setting up supply chain chaos with extra paperwork.
And yes, background checks should be part of the deal. Because while undocumented immigrants commit fewer crimes per capita than native-born Americans,678 crime isn’t zero. There are arrests: drugs, assaults, even a few murders.9 Not many—but enough that a functioning policy should still screen. Maybe the low crime rate is because they’re too busy working—or too scared to draw attention. Either way, it's not a free pass, and it shouldn’t be.
Also, don’t ignore the espionage angle. It’s rare, but real. Some Chinese nationals have used student or business visas as cover to gather intel.101112 These aren’t everyday migrants—they're exceptions—but they're a reminder: if there’s a loophole, someone’s going to try it. A proper vetting system doesn’t just check paperwork; it checks intentions.
The Core Dilemma (aka The Stuff No One on Cable News Wants to Say)
Crossing the border illegally is, well, illegal. But mass deportation without context isn’t a policy. It’s a tantrum.
A society built on undocumented labor can’t pretend it can kick the ladder out without collapsing half the scaffolding. If every undocumented worker vanished tomorrow, the result wouldn’t be utopia—it would be spoiled produce, closed kitchens, and unwashed hotel towels.
The real fix? Paperwork. Policy. Compromise. Basically, all the boring grown-up stuff no one can fit into a rage-tweet.
Breen, Kerry, and Kaia Hubbard. “Why are people protesting in Los Angeles? Here are key events leading up to President Trump’s crackdown.” CBS News, 10 June 2025, www.cbsnews.com/news/los-angeles-protests-key-events-trump-crackdown/.
“Where Undocumented Immigrants Work.” Statista, 2024, www.statista.com/chart/34074/us-industries-highest-share-of-the-workforce-undocumented-immigrants/.
Costa, Daniel, Josh Bivens, and Monique Morrissey. “Unauthorized Immigrants and the Economy.” Economic Policy Institute, 15 Apr. 2025, www.epi.org/publication/unauthorized-immigrants/.
Passel, Jeffrey S., and Jens Manuel Krogstad. “What We Know About Unauthorized Immigrants Living in the U.S.” Pew Research Center, 22 July 2024, www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/22/what-we-know-about-unauthorized-immigrants-living-in-the-us/.
“Immigration Raids Fuel Protests and Fear in Los Angeles.” Vox, 12 June 2025, www.vox.com/policy/416636/immigration-raids-fuel-protests-los-angeles-ice-explained.
American Immigration Council. “Debunking the Myth of Immigrants and Crime.” Oct. 2024, www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/debunking_the_myth_of_immigrants_and_crime.pdf.
National Institute of Justice. “Undocumented Immigrant Offending Rate Lower than U.S.-Born Citizen Rate.” National Institute of Justice, 12 Sept. 2024, https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/undocumented-immigrant-offending-rate-lower-us-born-citizen-rate.
Landgrave, Michelangelo, and Alex Nowrasteh. “Illegal Immigrant Incarceration Rates, 2010–2023.” Cato Institute, 7 May 2024, www.cato.org/policy-analysis/illegal-immigrant-incarceration-rates-2010-2023.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Criminal Noncitizen Statistics.” U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 12 May 2025, www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics/criminal-noncitizen-statistics.
Moody, Ashley. “Senator Ashley Moody Introduces Stop CCP VISAs Act to Crack Down on Foreign Espionage.” Senator Ashley Moody, 29 May 2025, www.moody.senate.gov/press-releases/senator-ashley-moody-introduces-stop-ccp-visas-act-to-crack-down-on-foreign-espionage/.
“Survey of Chinese Espionage in the United States Since 2000.” Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2024, www.csis.org/programs/strategic-technologies-program/survey-chinese-espionage-united-states-2000.
“Stanford Is a Case Study in How Beijing Infiltrates U.S. Universities.” The Washington Post, 5 June 2025, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/06/05/chinese-espionage-stanford-university/.