Immigration
I am the daughter of Indian immigrants, who made a life for themselves right here in Houston, nearly 40 years ago. My husband and his family immigrated to Houston from Pakistan when he was in high school. We are a nation of immigrants, and it is this diversity and inclusiveness that has allowed America to be a beacon of hope and opportunity for hundreds of years. We must continue this tradition of allowing the world’s best and brightest to come to our shores, bringing their dedication to hard work, ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit with them.
The positive impact of immigrants on the US economy is part of what makes this country so successful; nearly half of all Fortune 500 companies have been founded by immigrants or their children. Immigrants make up 29% of the labor force in Houston, and 31% of business owners. They account for 21% of the Houston metro areas total economic output. In Texas we have approximately 4.2 million immigrants with an economic output of $65 billion, encompassing the 4th largest highly educated skilled workforce in the country.
Building a wall won’t solve anything besides adding more to the deficit. And mass deportation is unpopular on both sides of the aisle because it is inhumane, and it is UnAmerican to tear families apart.
What we need is comprehensive immigration reform that ensures we continue to thoroughly screen immigrants, keeps families together, and protects our Dreamers.
The economics alone are proof enough that allowing Dreamers a path towards citizenship will benefit the US economy.
America has invested heavily in its Dreamers, and it makes no fiscal sense to allow that investment to be wasted.
Researchers estimate that approximately 177,000 young Texas immigrants are potentially eligible for DACA, and they currently contribute a total of $241 million to local and state taxes annually through sales and excise taxes, property taxes and income tax. Without them, Texas can expect to lose at least $79 million in state and local tax revenue. That’s the projected loss if DACA recipients stay in the state after losing work authorization, earning lower wages and becoming less likely to file income tax returns. Texas would lose even more if those eligible for DACA are all deported. In that case, the tax losses would amount to $241 million, and there would be many additional costs to businesses and communities of depriving our state of the many talents of Texas Dreamers.
Fact Sheet - Immigrants in Houston
Read - What's at stake for Texas