Who could have known that a lonely and deserted town due to population decline would be brought to life again by an outsider? An immigrant who moved to a city in Missouri never expected that a person like him would transform the city for the better.

Several years ago, Rahimi, an immigrant, started a new life in St. Louis. When he arrived, the lonely state became livelier than ever. People from the neighborhood frequently go to his bodega to hang out. According to him, the people in his neighborhood are so fond of him and his store. During the start of the presidency of Donald Trump in 2016, St. Louis along with other cities aren't supported by him since during his campaign, he usually targets the immigrants.

Rahimi says that St. Louis is a great place to a fresh start since there were a lot of good stories shared by people who decided to move and live in the state.

If it weren't for the foreigners who migrated to St. Louis from 2010 to 2018, the population would continue to decrease until it becomes a ghost town. There are thousands of foreigners who migrated to the state.

Similar cities like St. Louis are experiencing a shrinking population. While high-end cities are having an increase in jobs and population, small cities and states are having difficulties in controlling their population and economic growth. However, due to immigrants, small states with poor economies and populations can catch up.

A family of evacuees are seen walking at the Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre
Reuters

During 2018, the level of immigration in the United States decreased as Trump is against illegal immigration and said that there is no more space for illegals.

Besty Cohen, St. Louis Mosaic's executive director, believes that the only solution they know that would help stop the population decline of the small states is to find people like Jawad Rahimis. She also added that it would be impossible to achieve the expected growth in a city or state if the population fall. She said that every single person is essential to the growth of a state or a country.

Texas was the only state who practiced the refusing immigrants when President Trump permitted governors to do it while other states continued to welcome them.

Cities like Buffalo and Pittsburgh believe that the immigrants could help boost their population and economy.

Some people would prefer to leave their state to work or study since the place where they are living has a poor population and economy and that kind of place won't receive the salary that they deserve.

Adam Ozimek, along with the others, stated that when a city or state has a small population, it would mean that the tax base would also decrease. That makes the city the worst place to live in since there would be less access to different kinds of services.

Immigration is one of the few factors that could help a city or country facing decline in population to have a regulated and controlled population and economy.