Immigration is once again at the forefront of American politics. Following President Trump’s infamous travel ban, the highly-publicized immigration raids, and the Day Without Immigrants protests in response, policymakers from both sides of the aisle are turning increasing attention to the need for immigration reform. It is important, however, before diving into the political rhetoric, to have an accurate understanding of the vital role that immigrants play in our economy. New American Economy, a major bipartisan group of business leaders, celebrated a “Day of Impact for Immigration Reform” on February 21; I thought this was a good time to explore the issue in some detail.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the immigrant population was 42.4 million in 2014, accounting for 13.3 percent of the U.S. population. The “immigrant stock” in the U.S., first generation immigrants and their U.S.-born children, numbers around 81 million, over a quarter of the U.S. population. Given current immigration and birth rate trends, the Pew Research Center estimates that 93 percent of the growth in the working-age population through 2050 will be accounted for by immigrants and their children, which could grow to comprise close to 40 percent of the entire U.S. population.
Read the full story from My San Antonio: “Smart immigration reform can make US economy more vital“
