Colorado State Treasurer Dave Young has joined a group of sixteen state fiscal officers in sending a letter to President Donald Trump, raising concerns about the economic impact of federal immigration enforcement actions. The letter states that recent enforcement activities are disrupting state economies, hindering daily commerce, and posing risks to state fiscal stability.
“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 coalition’s letter describes how increased immigration sweeps have led to fear in business districts and threaten the tax revenues needed for essential services. The officers wrote: “The economy fundamentally depends on people producing goods, providing services, and participating in commerce as workers, consumers, and business owners. 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.”
Multiple industries—including agriculture, construction, hospitality, and manufacturing—have reported workforce disruptions and operational shutdowns resulting from these enforcement efforts. These challenges have contributed to declining revenues that affect state tax collections during a period when many states already face budget pressures.
In Colorado specifically, immigrants play significant roles in several sectors. Approximately 10,000 documented and undocumented immigrants work as cooks in the state while 52,000 are employed in construction; these groups represent 23% of all cooks and 20% of construction workers statewide. In addition to labor contributions, undocumented individuals paid an estimated $436.5 million in Colorado state and local taxes in 2022 according to data from the Colorado Fiscal Institute and Immigration Research Initiative.
The letter further emphasizes the responsibility of fiscal officers: “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 officers call on President Trump’s administration to reduce disruptive enforcement actions immediately. They also request that future policy decisions be made with input from state fiscal officials if there is potential for significant effects on local economies or government revenue streams.
