Musings on Immigration

Recently, the National Conference of State Legislatures issued a summary report of the fiscal and economic impact of immigrants utilizing information from ten different states.  This report provides an interesting look into positive impact of immigrants on our nation by showing the income and sales tax contributions as compared to the costs of education, health care, and corrections, among other factors. For those that believe undocumented immigrants do nothing to contribute to tax revenue, Arizona’s undocumented workers contributed $1.5 billion of the total $2.4 billion in 2004 .  The report also found that in 2010, immigrants contributed $3.9 billion to Arkansas ’ economy.  The report coming out of Georgia found that the “overall taxes unauthorized immigrant pay into the system is greater than the amount of benefits they receive”.  The report out of Minnesota estimated that in 2008 that without immigrant workers, the state would lose over 24,00...

The attributes that motivate an immigrant to leave behind the familiar surroundings of home and pursue a better life in another country, often at considerable risk of personal loss, are akin to the attributes of an entrepreneur who takes the initiative to pursue new business ventures, often at considerable risk of financial loss.  Stated another way--immigration is an entrepreneurial act. It is therefore not surprising that immigrants to the United States and their children have made some of the most significant contributions to the U.S. economy.  Consider these findings from a recent report published by the Partnership for a New American Economy : More than 40% of the 2010 Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children.   Fortune 500 companies founded by immigrants or children of immigrants employed more than 10 million people worldwide. The Fortune 500 companies that boast immigrant or children-of-immigrant founders have com...