Record influx of migrants crossing into the U.S. could bolster Maryland's economy

BALTIMORE -- More than 300,000 migrants were processed at the southern border in December, according to internal government data obtained by CBS News. That's the highest tally the US has seen in a month.

This influx of migrants could mean an impact to Maryland's economy and labor force.

According to the American Immigration Council, immigrants make up one fifth of Maryland's labor force. More than 667,000 migrants work in the state and hold jobs like painters, housekeepers, carpenters, taxi drivers and home health aides. 

But this could possibly change after the Biden administration reopened four ports of entry at the southern border in January.

Maria Colon is an immigration attorney with her own law firm in Timonium. She said it's possible to see some of the new migrants make their way here to Maryland if they have any family or friends living in the area.

Colon said if so, it could further boost the state's economy. 

The latest data from the American Immigration Council says that documented and undocumented immigrants in Maryland paid $13.3 billion in taxes and their spending power is more than $33 billion. 

"We have seen other states be overwhelmed with the amount of migrants that were arriving to their state, they were running out of resources, Colon said. "But if we are able to lawfully employ the immigrants, they won't depend on the state's resources to excel in the country." 

Colon said she is already seeing some migrants benefit from a recent change that aims to process work permits more swiftly for migrants. 

In September of 2023, the Department of Homeland Security announced this effort and it's called the CBP One Program.

It's a mobile app where migrants fill out work permit documentation ahead of time. Once it's approved, an interview is scheduled at the border for the migrant. Colon said after that process is complete, a migrant is then able to legally obtain a permit to work in the U.S. 

This tool has helped cut down the processing time. 

"We can see immigrants have a huge impact on Maryland's labor force and due to the shortage of national workers," Colon said. "Having an increase in immigrants coming to the state might have a positive impact with the labor force." 

But Colon adds that this effort also discourages unlawful crossings. 

According to the latest report from Department of Homeland Security (DHS), since May 2023 through November 30, 2023, DHS removed or returned over 400,000 individuals, including more than 65,000 individual family members. Most of those removals and returns are at the southwest border.

However, Colon noticed that migrants who have recently arrived in the U.S. tend to be served with a Notice to Appear in immigration court. This starts the proceedings to determine if a migrant needs to be removed from the U.S. In the past, these proceedings took years, she said. 

"But now their cases are moving very quickly," she said. "For example, they might have arrived in the U.S. in October 2023, and they have their first hearing in the immigration court in four months. And that's something that we did not see before."