The Partnership for a New American Economy is a group of CEOs, mayors and business leaders from across the country that is dedicated to raising awareness about the economic benefits the U.S. could reap from immigration reform.
There are over 100 members of the partnership, including Microsoft CEO Steven A. Ballmer, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, and News Corporation CEO Rupert Murdoch.
Contrary to popular belief, immigrants and immigrant-owned companies are an immense source of jobs and revenue for the United States.
Bloomberg, in a speech last December, said, "immigrant-owned have companies created 400,000 jobs nationwide since 1990." And since 1990, immigrants have also founded one-quarter of the high-tech companies in the U.S., Bloomberg said.
"Beyond the cultural, religious, and civic contributions [immigrants] make to our city — they do something else: they work. They start businesses. They create jobs. They pay taxes. We need more of that, not less," said Bloomberg.
The partnership has put forth several proposals calling for sensible immigration reform.
One such proposal is increasing the opportunities for foreign students to stay in the United States to work. Current student visa programs allow foreign students to stay in the U.S to attend school. After they graduate, though, students return to their homes abroad.
Can you imagine the economic benefits if we allowed the students to stay here, work for U.S. companies and start their own businesses?
Establishing a path for illegal immigrants currently living in the United States to gain legal status is another much needed reform. The partnership suggests that, in order to gain citizenship, immigrants must meet stipulations such as “registering with the federal government, learning English, paying taxes and following all laws,” according the New American Economy website.
It is true that America’s economy is in shambles and the unemployment rate is in the stratosphere. Many opponents of comprehensive immigration reform argue that Americans need the jobs, not illegal immigrants.
However, the partnership specifically says that a streamlined process should be created that allows employers to get the seasonal and permanent help they need when Americans aren't filling those jobs.
Furthermore, as the previous statistics demonstrate, immigrant-owned companies create more jobs for Americans, not take them away.
The Arizona Republic columnist Lisa Urias wrote, "Our Congress must enact reform that will do more than just help secure our borders. It needs to adopt comprehensive immigration reform that will provide the much needed labor at every level so as to help secure our future economy."
One of the central arguments against immigration reform has been the exorbitant strain that immigrants put on our economic system.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, the complete opposite proves to be true. Knowing this, what is the excuse for continued delays to immigration reform?
It seems that the immigration debate has become a moral one, an argument that revolves around the question of whether it's right or wrong to enter the United States illegally. The New American Economy demonstrates that the immigration debate is not exclusively a moral one. It's an economic one.
It seems foolish for Americans to deny that any longer, especially considering the volatile status of our economy.
Emilie is a journalism freshman. Reach Emilie at eeeaton@asu.edu
