Immigration Reform Economically Beneficial, New Study Finds

While House Republicans mull over the passage of comprehensive immigration reform, a recent study by the Bipartisan Policy Center shows that passing a bill could prove economically beneficial to the country.

The study, which was released on Tuesday, found that over the next 20 years, economic growth would increase by an additional 4.8 percent. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, there would also be a 4.4 percent increase in the labor force because there would be 94 percent new residents under 65. The new workers would help reduce deficits by $1.2 trillion, the study found.

The housing market would also benefit if immigration reform is passed, the study found. According the the report, residential construction spending would increase $68 billion a year, which would “jump-start the housing economy.”

According to U.S. News and World Report, the new study provides evidence against those who argue that immigration reform would hurt the economy by taking jobs away from Americans and driving wages down. In fact, the study states that wages would rise 0.5 percent by 2033.

In a statement released by the Bipartisan Policy Center, American Action Forum president and former director of the Congressional Budget Office Doug Holtz-Eakin said, “The Bipartisan Policy Center study reminds us that the result of immigration reform is what matters, not the process.”

He continued, “Regardless of how it gets done, immigration reform is a pro-growth policy that will raise growth, strengthen housing markets, and firm up our nation’s finances.”

The new study follows a renewed effort by Republican lobbyists to convince House GOP members to introduce immigration reform legislation. As previously reported, nearly 600 Republican leaders in business and agriculture will lobby congressional Republicans to push a vote forward. According to Fox News, some donors will even go as far as to withhold donations to GOP leaders who oppose reform.

The push towards immigration reform by Republicans is the latest push from the party to attract more Latino voters. According to U.S. News and World Report, the Republican National Committee announced this week that it would begin developing grassroots efforts in Hispanic neighborhoods to attract voters prior to the 2014 midterm election. A declining Latino vote for the GOP has helped push immigration reform and other issues concerning Latinos to the forefront.

Earlier this year, the Senate voted for an immigration reform bill championed by the bipartisan “Gang of Eight,” which offers a path to citizenship for immigrants who entered the U.S. before 2012. The bill, which could affect some 11 million undocumented immigrants, would also strengthen the border.