Tucson Sentinel: Report: Immigrants living in Arizona contribute $21.4 billion to state’s economy

A New York group urging immigration reform has calculated that about 900,000  immigrants living in Arizona contribute at least  $21.4 billion to the state’s economy through purchases as well as taxes.

The Partnership for a New American Economy, a bipartisan group headed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, calculated immigrant economic contributions in all 435 congressional districts, including nine in Arizona, and 50 metro areas as part of an effort to urge Republicans to reform national immigration policies.

They want borders to be more secure through tougher enforcement and better use of technology as well as a secure system for employers to verify employment eligibility, increased opportunities for foreign workers and students to come to the United States, and establishment of a path for undocumented residents now living in the U.S. to become legal.

The “Map the Impact” report released in late February includes estimated contributions from undocumented residents for 43 states, including Arizona, that had large enough populations to count. It uses 2014 data.

Politico reported last month that the group planned more than 100 events nationwide to publicize the report.

Read the full story from Tucson Sentinel: “Report: Immigrants living in Arizona contribute $21.4 billion to state’s economy“