Immigration Benefits US Economy

Immigrants are a boost to United States Economy

The immigrant community is not a drain on the U.S. economy but, in fact, proves to be a net benefit. Research reported by both the CATO Institute and the President’s Council of Economic Advisors reveals that the average immigrant pays a net 80,000 dollars more in taxes than they collect in government services. For immigrants with college degrees the net fiscal return is $198,000. Furthermore, The American Farm Bureau asserts that without guest workers the U.S. economy would lose as much as $9 billion a year in agricultural production and 20 percent of current production would go overseas.
(Source: CATO Institute, CATO Handbook for Congress: Policy Recommendations for the 108th Congress

http://www.cato.org/pubs/handbook/hb108/hb108-63.pdf;


Immigrants Pay Taxes

Undocumented immigrants pay taxes. Between one half and three quarters of undocumented immigrants pay state and federal
taxes. They also contribute to Medicare and provide as much as 7 billion dollars a year to the Social Security Fund. Further still, undocumented workers pay sales taxes where applicable and property taxes—directly if they own and indirectly if they rent.

(Source: Immigration Policy Center, “Undocumented Immigrants as Taxpayers,” (November 2007), http://www.ailf.org/ipc/factchecks/

Undocumented asTaxpayer.pdf; Eduardo Porter “ 'Illegal' Immigrants are Bolstering Social Security with Billions,” New York Times,
(April 5, 2005) http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/business/05immigration.html?
ex=1270353600&en=78c87ac4641dc383&ei=5090&partner=kmarx)