POSITIVE IMPACT OF IMMIGRANTS ON ARIZONA'S ECONOMY

Positive Impact of Immigrants on Arizona’s Economy Opponents of comprehensive immigration reform regularly trot out the claim that immigrants are a drain on Arizona’s economy due to the governmental benefits they receive. They have it wrong.

The Immigration Policy Center recently put together an excellent 3 page fact sheet (http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/images/File/factcheck/New%20Americans%20in%20the%20Grand%20Canyon%20State%202009.pdf ) proving that in 2004 immigrant workers contributed $2.4 billion in state tax revenue. The total economic output attributable to Arizona’s immigrant workers was $44 billion in 2004, which sustained roughly 400,000 full time jobs.

Efforts to paint immigrants as the recipients of “our hard earned tax dollars” who give nothing back to our communities, state and nation are false and misleading. As the immigration reform debate moves forward in Arizona, the net positive contributions of immigrant families to our society’s economic well being should be front and center. We need to create the space and take the time in our congregations and communities to explore this reality.