Why the GOP Congress Should Welcome More Immigrants (Even Illegals!)

All sources for the following statistics can be found at http://reason.com/reasontv/2015/01/06/more-immigration

Reason TV presents why immigration is GOOD for the U.S.:

Immigrants make up 13% of the U.S. population, but represent 18% of small business owners

Immigrant businesses employ 1 in 10 Americans
18% of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants, generating $1.7 trillion in revenue

Immigrants are three times more likely to file a patent than native citizens

75% of farm workers are foreign-born

As consumers, immigrants pump over $2 trillion into the economy
Without immigrant labor, milk prices would increase by 61%

Immigrants on average pay $1800 more in taxes than receive in benefits

66% of ILLEGAL—ILLEGAL!--immigrants pay Social Security, Medicare, and income taxes via payroll withholding

Immigrants (legal and illegal) are less likely to commit crimes or be on welfare but more likely to work than similarly situated native-born Americans

So instead of trying to reduce immigration by “securing the border,” “completing the dang fence,” and forcing ALL residents to show work papers and ALL employers to become agents of the federal government, why don’t we just...

Let (a Lot More of) Them In...

In the new Congress, immigrant-friendly lawmakers in both parties can pass laws “that enjoy bipartisan support...to start fixing the system.... These include a GUEST WORKER PROGRAM for low-skilled workers and DEREGULATION of the high-skilled visa program.”—Shikha Dalmia, in the February 2015 Reason.

Go here for sources and downloadable versions of this video: http://reason.com/reasontv/2015/01/06/more-immigration

Read more at reason.com/policyagenda2015

About 1 minute.

Written by Nick Gillespie and Amanda Winkler. Produced and edited by Winkler. Graphics by Jason Keisling.