Immigrants collectively improve economic conditions

Although laws and proposed state and federal legislation seek to constrain the number of immigrants allowed into the United States, research has shown that immigrants improve economic conditions.

According to Kauffmann Foundation research that was recently cited by The Atlantic, immigrants are statistically more likely to create new job opportunities than native-born citizens. In Silicon Valley, for example, more than 50 percent of startups were created by immigrants. Among venture-backed companies, more than 25 percent were started by immigrants, according to the source.

Highly skilled immigrants also help to make all employees more well-off, as well, according to findings from economist Enrico Moretti,author of the recently published book "The New Geography Of Jobs." According to Forbes, Moretti estimates that for every innovative job that is created, five more jobs at the service level are created, giving everyone more opportunities for gainful employment. When paired with Kauffman's findings, it seems that immigrants are the individuals who are more likely than anyone to create these innovative opportunities.

Even in blue-collar jobs, residents working toward U.S. citizenship have repeatedly been shown to contribute immensely to the economy. In the state of Texas, for example, 20 percent of the workforce is made up of immigrants, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. A survey from Susan Combs, the state's Comptroller of Public Accounts, found immigrants also produce more state revenue than they receive, and so this large population creates a positive economic effect on Texas. According to Combs' report, “Undocumented immigrants produced $1.58 billion in state revenues, which exceeded the $1.16 billion in state services they received" in 2005.