Emptying 40% of NYC Is Not Logical: America Needs Common Sense Immigration Reform
Imagine waking up one morning to find 40% of New York City—its restaurants, hospitals, construction sites, and neighborhoods—suddenly empty. Streets quieter, businesses shuttered, services halted. That’s the kind of chaos implied by extremist calls to deport all undocumented immigrants. Not only is this notion logistically impossible, it’s economically suicidal and morally corrosive. America was built by immigrants, thrives because of immigrants, and will continue to decline without immigrants.
This country desperately needs common sense immigration reform. Not sensationalism. Not fear-mongering. Not empty promises shouted across podiums. What we need is grounded, bipartisan action that secures our borders and secures our economic future.
Immigration Is the Soul of America
150 years ago, waves of immigrants crossed the Atlantic in search of a better life. They were not landed gentry. They were poor, hungry, and hopeful—fleeing famine, war, or persecution. From the Irish who built the railroads to Italian, Polish, and Jewish families who filled America's cities with talent and culture, immigrants made America what it is.
Today’s immigrants—many undocumented—work jobs most Americans won’t. They harvest our crops, clean our buildings, care for our elderly, cook our meals, and build our skylines. To act as though they are a drain on society is to ignore the economic engine they help fuel every day.
Deportation Is an Economic Disaster
Calling for mass deportation sounds tough—but it’s empty bravado that would bring real damage. Removing millions of people would grind major American cities to a halt. Agriculture would suffer first, especially in places like California’s Central Valley. Prices for food would skyrocket, and domestic food production would plummet. Industries from hospitality to health care would hemorrhage workers.
The cost of mass deportation would run into the hundreds of billions of dollars. The cost in lost tax revenue and economic output? Far more.
The Logical Path: Document the Undocumented
Instead of pursuing draconian measures, we should focus on documenting the undocumented. Creating pathways for individuals already here to regularize their status makes sense for everyone. It allows us to know who is in the country, it helps immigrants pay taxes openly, and it strengthens our communities. Public safety improves when immigrants are not afraid to talk to law enforcement. Local economies grow stronger when more people participate in them fully.
Seasonal Work Visas: Smart and Humane
Many undocumented immigrants don’t even want to live in the U.S. permanently—they come here for seasonal work to support families back home. A robust seasonal worker visa program would reduce illegal border crossings, meet labor needs, and offer humane, temporary legal status.
Congress Must Act Now
The current immigration system is outdated, overwhelmed, and under-resourced. It’s time for Congress to rise above political theater and deliver common sense immigration reform that includes:
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A pathway to legal status for undocumented individuals with clean records
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Streamlined seasonal work visas for agricultural and hospitality sectors
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Modernized border security that relies on technology, not cruelty
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A fair, humane asylum system that upholds America’s values
Final Thought
America doesn’t need fear. It needs vision. We must choose between regression and renewal. Between chaos and common sense. Between emptying cities—or rebuilding them stronger with the people who already call them home.
The choice is clear. Now Congress must act.
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— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) June 9, 2025
Emptying 40% of NYC is not logical.
It’s not policy—it’s chaos.
This country needs common sense immigration reform, not political stunts that would collapse our economy.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom requested Trump remove the guard members in a letter Sunday afternoon, calling their deployment a "serious breach of state sovereignty." His comments were echoed by Mayor Karen Bass who said in an afternoon press conference, "What we're seeing in Los Angeles is chaos that is provoked by the administration. This is about another agenda, this isn't about public safety."
