correction
An earlier version of this editorial incorrectly stated Providence, R.I., is in St. Joseph County. It is located in Providence County. St. Joseph County is home to South Bend, Ind. This version has been updated.
The population of Providence, R.I., has barely held even since 2020. Had it not been for some 8,300 immigrants who settled in Providence County, it would have shrunk by 1.3 percent by last year. Same in South Bend, Ind., where some 1,700 immigrants into Saint Joseph County barely filled a gap left by locals ditching town.