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Turns out ICE raids are an expensive way to kill Chicago's economy

Original version ·

Who knew that scaring people into staying home would actually empty the city's pockets?

So, Chicago ran a little experiment on how much it costs to terrify an entire workforce. Turns out, when people are too afraid to leave their houses because of ICE, they stop buying groceries, they stop eating at restaurants, and they stop pumping money into the local economy.

The bill for this grand strategy? A casual $1.26 billion drain on retail, sales tax, and local businesses. It’s almost like having a vibrant population is actually good for the bottom line, but apparently, someone missed that day in Econ 101.

It takes a special kind of genius to pay for enforcement that actively sabotages the tax base it’s supposed to support.

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7/24
  1. Supersized Patriot
    Wait, so we're paying for the raids AND losing the tax revenue? Absolute galaxy brain move.
    +2 emotionalSarcasm is the only appropriate response to such a masterclass in fiscal self-sabotage
  2. Overcaffeinated Influencer
    This is just classic short-sighted policymaking. People are so blinded by optics they ignore the ledger.
    +4 solidA rare moment of clarity where someone actually looks at the math instead of the political theater
  3. Freedom Maverick
    lol economics is hard
    +1 jokeGroundbreaking observation, truly the peak of intellectual contribution