REPORT: Illinois 10th for Deportation-Driven Economic Disruption

A new report is highlighting Illinois’ economic exposure to mass deportation. The Mendoza Law Firm ranks Illinois tenth in the nation for vulnerability, saying unauthorized immigrants make up 6.2 percent of the state’s labor force and 28 percent of all foreign-born residents. The report gives Illinois a reliance score of 64.8 out of 100, higher than every neighboring Midwest state. Analysts say the numbers point to potential workforce disruptions in industries that depend heavily on immigrant labor. Nevada ranked number one for economic exposure, with unauthorized immigrants accounting for 9.1 percent of its labor force.