💪🏽IMSPARK: Inclusion That Strengthens Us All💪🏽

💪🏽Imagine... Inclusion That Strengthens Us All💪🏽

💡 Imagined Endstate:

A future where the contribution of every immigrant, regardless of status, is recognized, protected, and empowered. A nation where unauthorized residents are welcomed into economic and civic life, turning systemic exclusion into collective strength.

📚 Source:

Costa, D., Bivens, J., & Morrissey, M. (2025, April 15). FAQ: Unauthorized Immigrants and the Economy. Economic Policy Institute. Link

💥 What’s the Big Deal:

Every year millions of unauthorized immigrants pay into systems but cannot access essential protections, from SNAP and non‑emergency healthcare to wage law enforcement and workplace safety ⛔. They contribute billions in taxes ($100 billion across federal, state, and local levels) and Social Security (about $12 billion annually), funds they may never reclaim 📊.

These individuals are integral to the labor market. In 2023, they numbered between 11 to 13+ million people, making up around 27 % of immigrants and nearly 5 % of the U.S. workforce👷🏽. Yet they are routinely excluded from safety nets, increasing vulnerability and suppressing labor standards. A startling 37 % of unauthorized workers are victims of minimum wage theft, and nearly 85 % never received overtime compensation they earned.

This is more than a problem of policy; it's a societal rift. Arbitrary exclusion chips away at labor rights, wages, and unity,  especially in island communities where labor networks and families are often interconnected across borders. Regularizing status would not only restore rights for millions but also raise wages, strengthen organizing, and bolster the well‑being of entire communities 🤝. In other words, inclusion isn’t just humane; it’s essential.

#ImmigrationJustice, #LaborEquity, #EPI, #InclusiveEconomy, #PacificSolidarity,#ImmigrationReform,#IMSPARK,

🪢IMSPARK: Rights Protected, Not Swept Away🪢

🪢Imagine... Rights Protected, Not Swept Away🪢

💡 Imagined Endstate:

A future where federal erosion of workplace safeguards is met with robust state responses; from Hawaii to Alaska, ensuring every worker enjoys fair wages, safe working conditions, and the freedom to speak up. 

📚 Source:

Economic Policy Institute (2025). Holding the Line: State Solutions to the U.S. Worker Rights Crisis. Economic Policy Institute. Link

💥 What’s the Big Deal:

When federal protections for workers weaken, from minimum wage floors to paid overtime and child labor standards, vulnerable workers suffer most👷🏽. Migrant laborers face silencing and retaliation. Child workers risk harmful roles and exploitation. Without federal leadership, states must step in and often act in isolation from each other. This moment reveals two crucial truths.

First, states must fortify basic employment rights ⚖. That means anchoring minimum wages, extending overtime, shielding whistleblowers, aligning child labor rules with modern realities, and enforcing wage payment with strength and clarity💪🏽. Without these measures, workers become prey to industry push to weaken standards. Meanwhile, federal rollbacks embolden further dismantling via policy roadmaps like Project 2025 that propose undermining wage and labor ceilings nationwide.

Second, this opening is also opportunity. States can go beyond maintenance to innovate protection, establishing laws that ensure critical information in pay documents is understandable in multiple languages, bolster enforcement funding💵, allow wage theft lawsuits by workers themselves, hold employers jointly liable where appropriate, and enact nonretaliation safeguards so workers can voice violations without fear.

In the Pacific, where geographic and workforce isolation leave communities exposed, these actions matter deeply. Workers must not rely on distant federal action alone. Local statutes and enforcement give islands true resilience🌀. When states act with courage, workers and communities gain dignity, equity, and economic stability. The crisis is urgent. But our response can be transformative.

#WorkerRights, #StateAction, #EconomicJustice, #PacificResilience, #EPI, #HoldingTheLine,#IMSPRK,

💰 IMSPARK: Not Prioritizing Health Over Wealth 💰

💰 Imagine... Not Prioritizing Health Over Wealth 💰

💡 Imagined Endstate:

A future where healthcare is recognized as a shared responsibility — where economic policy uplifts vulnerable families, strengthens communities, and ensures that no one must choose between survival and dignity in the richest country on Earth.

📚 Source:

Bivens, J., Wething, H., & Morrissey, M. (2025, February 28). Cutting Medicaid to pay for low taxes on the rich is a terrible trade for American families. Economic Policy Institute. Link.

💥 What’s the Big Deal:

The proposed $880 billion cut to Medicaid is not just a budget line — it’s a moral line 🚫. This decision would severely harm the very families the program was designed to support, all to finance tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. The data is unequivocal: when you take healthcare from low-income people, you take away stability, mobility, and in many cases, life itself.

Among the poorest Americans, Medicaid isn’t just a benefit — it’s the backbone of survival 🧬. For those in the bottom 20% of income, Medicaid represents 70% of total income in value. Cutting it would slash household support by 7.4%, a catastrophic loss that would ripple through families, particularly children, the elderly, and people with disabilities .

These cuts won’t stay isolated — they would devastate rural and working-class communities 🏞️. Small-town hospitals, already under strain, rely on Medicaid reimbursements to stay open. Pulling support could mean shuttered ERs, longer drives for treatment, and increased mortality from preventable conditions.

From an economic standpoint, this plan is shortsighted 💣. Fewer preventive care visits today mean more chronic illnesses tomorrow — translating into skyrocketing emergency costs, reduced workforce participation, and weaker long-term GDP performance 📉. The "savings" would be quickly outpaced by losses in health and productivity.

Meanwhile, the beneficiaries of these cuts — the wealthiest 1% — would enjoy disproportionate tax relief 💼. In a country already facing deep inequality, this proposal would shift public dollars from families who need help to households that don’t. It’s not about efficiency — it’s about inequity, plain and simple ⚖️.

#Medicaid, #HealthcareForAll, #EconomicJustice, #DOGE, #InvestInHealth, #HealthEquity,#EPI,#IMSPARK,

🦺IMSPARK: A Workforce Protected and Prosperous🦺

🦺Imagine… A Workforce Protected and Prosperous🦺

💡 Imagined Endstate:

A future where every worker—across America and in global regions like the Pacific—thrives under robust protections, fair wages, and safe conditions, fostering economic strength not just for today but for generations to come.

📚 Source:

Shierholz, H. (2025, February 15). Testimony prepared for the U.S. House of Representatives Full Committee on Education & the Workforce: "Unleashing America’s Workforce and Strengthening Our Economy." Economic Policy Institute. https://www.epi.org/publication/testimony-prepared-for-the-u-s-house-of-representatives-full-committee-on-education-the-workforce-for-a-hearing-titled-unleashing-americas-workforce-and-strengthening-our-economy/

💥 What’s the Big Deal:

Worker protections are not an obstacle to economic growth—they are a cornerstone of it 🛠️. This powerful testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives makes clear that regulations ensuring safe workplaces, fair pay, and the right to organize are critical not just for ethical reasons, but for economic vitality .

The research dissects and dismantles the myth that regulations are job killers. In truth, they correct market failures like unchecked pollution, hazardous work environments, and exploitative labor practices that disproportionately impact vulnerable populations—including communities in the Pacific 🌊, where labor migration and precarious work conditions are everyday realities.

By investing in worker protection and infrastructure (like renewable energy and safety equipment), we create jobs today and ensure healthier, safer environments tomorrow. Such measures empower workers to move from survival to prosperity, creating a virtuous cycle of economic stability and growth 🌾.

For the Pacific Islands, this resonates deeply. Like many communities globally, they benefit from frameworks that prioritize long-term resilience over short-term transactional policies. Labor policies that center dignity, safety, and fairness help avoid the exploitation of Pacific labor migrants and encourage homegrown industries that respect both people and environment 🌱.

At its heart, this testimony affirms a vital truth: policies grounded in protection and equity do not stifle progress—they unleash it 🚀.

#WorkforceEmpowerment, #WorkerRights, #SaferPacific, #EconomicGrowth, #SustainableEconomy, #FairLabor,#PacificResilience,#LaborRights,#IMSPARK, #EPI,

🏦 IMSPARK: Acknowledging Economic Contribution in the Pacific🏦

🏦 Imagine… Acknowledging Economic Contribution in the Pacific🏦

💡 Imagined Endstate:

A future where the economic contributions of all residents, regardless of documentation status, are recognized and celebrated, leading to a more inclusive and prosperous Pacific community.

🔗 Link:

Read the full report here

📚 Source:

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. (2024). Tax Payments by Undocumented Immigrants: An Essential Contribution to Local Economies. Retrieved from https://sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com/itep/ITEP-Tax-Payments-by-Undocumented-Immigrants-2024.pdf.

💥 What’s the Big Deal:

The Pacific Islands, like many other regions, thrive thanks to the contributions of undocumented immigrants who live and work in these communities 🌍. Despite their undocumented status, these individuals contribute billions of dollars annually in taxes 💵, supporting essential public services like education, healthcare, and infrastructure 🏥. This report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy sheds light on the significant economic impact of undocumented immigrants, highlighting that they are not a burden but rather an integral part of the Pacific’s economic fabric 💪🏽. Recognizing and valuing these contributions is crucial for building an inclusive society where everyone’s efforts are acknowledged 🏛️. In a time when immigration debates can be divisive, this report serves as a powerful reminder that economic contributions transcend legal status 👥. It’s about crafting a future where every resident, regardless of documentation, plays a vital role in sustaining and strengthening the community 🏝️.

#InclusiveEconomy #PacificIslands #EconomicContribution #Immigration #SocialJustice #CommunityStrength #IMSPARK

💵 IMSPARK: Adequate Standard of Living 💵

  💵  Imagine... an adequate standard of living 💵

💡 Imagined Endstate: 

A Pacific where we can earn enough income to cover the costs of necessities such as housing, food, health care, child care, and transportation in different parts of the region, and where we can enjoy a decent quality of life without struggling to make ends meet.

🔗Link:

Ref Here

📚Source: 

Gould, E., Mokhiber, Z., & deCourcy, K. (2020). What constitutes a living wage?: A guide to using EPI’s Family Budget Calculator. Economic Policy Institute.

💥 What’s the Big Deal:  

The tool known as the Family Budget Calculator is designed to determine the amount of income a family requires to achieve a reasonable and satisfactory quality of life in different parts of the country. 🏠 It estimates the costs of housing, food, health care, child care, and transportation for ten family types in all counties and metro areas in the United States. 🍽️ The calculator provides a more accurate and complete measure of economic security than the federal poverty line or the Supplemental Poverty Measure.📏It can be used by policymakers, advocates, and employers to set meaningful living wage standards for their communities and to design policies and programs that help families meet their needs.🎗️ The calculator also reveals the wide variation in living costs across the Pacific region and the challenges many families face in affording a decent life.

#FamilyBudget, #LivingWage, #Cost, #EPI,#IMSPARK,