Colorado State Treasurer Dave Young, along with fiscal officers from 15 other states, has raised concerns about the economic impact of recent federal immigration enforcement actions. In a letter addressed to President Donald Trump, the group warns that aggressive enforcement measures could disrupt state economies and threaten public revenues.
“As state fiscal officers, our job is to protect the financial health of our states and the services our residents rely on,” said Colorado State Treasurer Dave Young. “When federal immigration enforcement actions disrupt workplaces, empty business districts, and slow economic activity, they directly weaken state revenues and put essential public services at risk. We are urging the administration to pursue enforcement policies that protect public safety without destabilizing state and local economies.”
The letter notes that fear caused by enforcement sweeps in business districts is having a negative effect on tax revenues needed for essential services. The signatories include treasurers, auditors, and comptrollers from states representing significant portions of national economic output.
“The economy fundamentally depends on people producing goods, providing services, and participating in commerce as workers, consumers, and business owners,” the officers write. “For an economy to function, people must feel safe to go to work, operate businesses, travel to commercial districts, and engage in everyday economic activity. When fear disrupts these basic conditions, production slows, consumption declines, and the economic system that supports public revenues begins to break down.”
Workforce disruptions have been reported across several sectors including agriculture, construction, hospitality, and manufacturing. These disruptions threaten tax collections at a time when many states are already facing budget pressures.
In Colorado specifically, both documented and undocumented immigrants play key roles in several industries. About 10,000 immigrants work as cooks while 52,000 are employed in construction—making up 23% of cooks and 20% of construction workers in the state. In addition to their labor contributions, undocumented individuals paid an estimated $436.5 million in Colorado state and local taxes in 2022.
State fiscal officers emphasize their duty as stewards of public funds: “We manage billions in public funds, oversee state investments, and ensure our governments can meet their obligations to citizens. We cannot stand by while federal enforcement policies create economic chaos that undermines our ability to fulfill those responsibilities.”
The letter calls on President Trump’s administration to scale back disruptive enforcement activities immediately. It also urges consultation with state fiscal officials before launching operations likely to affect economies or revenue streams.
For more information about the Colorado Department of the Treasury’s role managing taxpayer dollars responsibly from receipt through disbursement visit colorado.gov/treasury.
