ICYMI: Peters Highlights Harmful Impact of Trump Administration Immigration Agenda on San Diego

May 14, 2026
San Diego, CA – Last week, U.S. Representative Scott Peters (CA-50) joined NBC7 San Diego to highlight the impact of extreme United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) delays on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewal applications, threatening their protected employment authorizations and immigration status.
Currently, Rep. Peters’ office is experiencing the highest volume of immigration casework requests during his time in Congress.
“The fact that [DACA recipients] have been jerked around like political football...it’s really shameful for us,” said Rep. Scott Peters. “I think it’s heartbreaking...these are, by definition, the people we want to be our neighbors.”
Watch the full interview here.
According to recent FWD.us data, the Trump Administration's immigration enforcement agenda carries economic consequences that extend beyond Dreamers and immigrant communities — posing risks to San Diego's economy as a whole. See their data below:
Immigrants Are Essential to San Diego’s Economy
  • 850,000 immigrants live in San Diego. They make up 26% of the population and 29% of the labor force.
    • They account for 59% of agriculture, 37% of construction, 40% of manufacturing, and 32% of the leisure and hospitality sector
  • 70,000 immigrants work in STEM jobs, and 36% of all STEM degree holders in the region are immigrants.
  • Immigrants in San Diego have an annual spending power of $33.1 billion and pay $12.7 billion in combined taxes each year. In CA-50 alone, there are 172,000 immigrants (23% of the population), contributing $8.8 billion in spending power and $3.8 billion in taxes annually.
  • 6,000 Dreamers in CA-50 alone contribute $156 million to the local economy and $22 million in state and local taxes each year. 
Current Immigration Policies Threaten San Diego’s Economy
  • San Diego metro could lose up to $3 billion annually under the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies.
  • Across three policy scenarios — work permit cancellations, mass deportations, and reductions in legal immigration — San Diego stands to lose between 23,300 and 29,100 workers across all industries.
  • Nationally, families could see a $2,150 annual cost increase, with food prices rising 14.5% and housing costs increasing 6.1% by 2028. 
Established Community Members
  • 93,000 undocumented individuals in San Diego have lived in the U.S. for more than 10 years; 65,000 for more than 20 years.
  • 62,000 U.S. citizen children in San Diego live with an undocumented parent.
  • 92% of immigrants in San Diego speak English, 35% hold college or advanced degrees, and 89% earn above the minimum needed to live. 
Protected Workers Contribute and Pay Taxes
  • DACA recipients, TPS holders, asylum seekers, and those awaiting green cards make up 27,000 workers in San Diego's labor force, paying $173 million in state and local taxes annually.
  • In CA-50, this protected group accounts for 5,000 workers and $42 million in annual state and local taxes — workers who would be immediately impacted by permit cancellations.
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