Delaying Immigration Reform will Hurt Oregon's Economy, Study Finds

New Study Reveals that Failure to Pass Immigration Reform will Hurt Oregon’s Economy

New study provides one more reason House Republicans should not delay passage of immigration reform

Salem, Ore. – Last Friday, Oregon Congressman Greg Walden told reporters that the U.S. House could take up an immigration overhaul next year.  Congressman Walden’s statement came just days after Speaker John Boehner told reporters that he is unwilling to work with the U.S. Senate to fix our nation’s broken immigration system -- something that polls show a majority of Americans want.

A new report released this month by the Main Street Alliance of Oregon, What’s on the line: The Costs of Delaying Immigration Reform for Oregon’s Economy and Small Businesses, details how delaying immigration reform can cause a loss in jobs and economic activity for Oregon.

According to the 2014 projection for Oregon included in the report, the longer that immigration reform is delayed the more harm it does to Oregon’s economy and the more jobs are lost. 

• Every month of delay costs Oregon $32.4 million in economic activity and 386 jobs.
• Delaying immigration reform and its economic impacts for three month costs Oregon $97.3 million in economic activity and 1,157 jobs.
• Delaying immigration     reform  for six   months will cost Oregon $194.5 million in economic activity and 2,314 jobs.”

The report also revealed that every day immigration reform is delayed, the United States would lose $106 million in economic activity and 1,190 jobs, while every month of that delay would cause a $3.2 billion loss in economic activity and 36,200 jobs.

“The results of the Main StreetAlliance of Oregon report further illustrates what we have suspected for Oregon and the nation -- that failure to pass immigration reform hurts our economy”, said Andrea Miller, Executive Director of Causa Oregon.  “This report solidifies the fact that Congressman Greg Walden and House Republican leadership need  to pass immigration reform immediately and stop the harm to immigrant families and Oregon’s and our nation’s economy.”

Miller added, “The House Republican leadership has more than enough time to pass immigration reform before the end of the year—and there is no excuse for stalling and blocking reform from happening this year. It’s during the holidays when members of Congress, especially Congressman Walden, should recognize the damage our broken immigration system is doing to immigrant families and our state’s economy.”

Another key component of the research was polling data about small businesses located in the Western Region of the United States which includes Oregon.  According the study, 78 percent of small business owners in the Western Region support a roadmap to citizenship for immigrants currently living and working in theUnited States. The survey confirmed that the majority of Western small business owners believe:

• Immigrant business owners and workers play a roll in building strong local economies
• The potential of immigrant economic integration to strengthen the small business customer base
• The importance of keeping families together to ensure a productive workforce for small businesses

Last month, groups in Oregon delivered thousands of letters from small businesses and individuals to Congressman Walden’s office urging his support of Immigration Reform with a path to citizenship.  Outraged by the House leadership’s overt refusal to do what is necessary to fix our broken immigration system, pro-immigrant rights groups, faith, union and community groups across the nation are committed to keeping pressure on House Republicans to pass an immigration reform bill with a path to citizenship.

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Causa, Oregon's Statewide Immigrant Rights Organization is the largest Latina and Latino civil and human rights and advocacy organization in the Pacific Northwest. We work to defend and advance immigrant rights through coordination with local, state, and national coalitions and allies. For more information, visit www.causaoregon.org

Resources

• What’s on the line: The Costs of Delaying Immigration Reform for Oregon’s Economy and Small Businesses, Main Street Alliance of Oregon, November 2013 http://oregon.mainstreetalliance.org/files/2013/11/Whats-on-the-Line-The-Costs-of-Delaying-Immigration-Reform-Oregon-Nov-2013.pdf
• Immigration Reform Will Happen ‘Later Next Year,’ Walden Says, Roll Call, November 15, 2013 http://blogs.rollcall.com/218/walden-immigration-overhaul-will-happen-later-next-year/
• Speaker Boehner Turns His Back on Our Immigration Crisis, Causa Oregon, November 14, 2013 http://causaoregon.blogspot.com/2013/11/speaker-boehner-turns-his-back-on.html
• New Immigration Poll, November 12, 2013 http://www.fwd.us/swing_district_immigration_poll