Immigrant population in DE grows, bolsters local economy

Business leaders said Wednesday they want comprehensive federal reform, as opposed to state-level moves.

Organized by the Partnership for a New American Economy, Wednesday’s effort was meant to highlight the need for immigration reform in the United States, particularly expanding guest worker quotas and lessening the red tape employers have to wade through to secure them.

The report entitled The Contributions of New Americans in IN says that immigrants make up five percent of the state’s population and contributed $2.3 billion in taxes, or 5.1 percent of the total share in 2014.

Bryant Garcia is an Immigration Specialist for La Esperanza, a non-profit that helps immigrants find the support and resources they need to better assimilate into the U.S. In 2014, immigrants earned $4.2 billion, more than 4 percent of all earnings.

Immigrants’ contribution to OR agriculture was a highlight of the state report. These immigrant-owned businesses generated more than $608 million in business income in 2014. NAE is using state-specific research to demonstrate how immigrants impact our local economies.

That’s left some worldwide students drawn to Louisiana’s colleges and universities in a bind, Leger said, adding that the system “makes it easy to come and get an education, but hard to stay”.

The campaign calls for immigration reform and is focused on bringing attention to the contributions immigrants make to the Gem State. Immigrants, including graduates of the University of Wyoming, are already doing their part to ensure our state is an innovator in STEM fields like mining engineering and advanced manufacturing, but our flawed immigration system often prevents employers from being able to recruit and retain the high-skilled global workforce they need, hindering their growth and future job creation.

The report was released as immigration policy has become a significant issue in the 2016 presidential campaign.

The event is sponsored by the Partnership for a New American Economy and the North Carolina Council of Churches.

The report combined data from the 2014 American Community Survey, the U.S. Census Bureau and a number of federal and state agencies to collect the data, although the total number of undocumented immigrants was based off a rough economic estimate.

Ryan Deckert, president of the Oregon Business Association, called immigration reform a moral and economic “no-brainer”.

Our key industries need highly educated and qualified individuals, yet for many immigrants who live and study in North Dakota, there simply isn’t a way for them to stay in the United States after they earn a master’s or doctorate degree.

In 2014, foreign-born residents made up about 4 percent of Louisiana’s population but represented almost 8 percent of workers in fields focused on science, technology, engineering and math, the report said.

In New Jersey, immigrants make up 22 percent of the population and 28 percent of the workforce.

ME business and economic development leaders have joined a push to reform the nation’s immigration laws, arguing the aging state desperately needs young and skilled workers. “They start businesses at an impressive rate and employ 125,898 people in Maryland alone”, Rawlings-Blake said.

Douglas Bugie, who is on Global Cleveland’s board of directors, who spoke at the news conference, said immigrants could play a role in closing the skills gap, especially in STEM fields.