Overview

To bring to light the real facts about the costs and real benefits of immigration, a number of states are proposing commissioned studies on the economic role and contributions of immigrants, including workforce participation, business or jobs generated, revitalization of neighborhoods, and taxes paid. 

• Virginia's HB 1673, passed in April 2007, creates the Virginia Commission on Immigration to study, report, and make recommendations to address the costs and benefits of immigration on the Commonwealth. 
• Maryland passed HB 1602, establishing a 3-year Commission to Study the Impact of Immigrants in Maryland, including a study of the demographic profile and impact of immigrants, and the economic and fiscal impacts of immigration. The Commission's recommendations are due by January 2011.

Such official studies will just reinforce the message of other reports from Arizona, Arkansas,  California, Texas, Florida, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Virginia,  Washington DC, Long Island, NY, and Iowa that new immigrants both pay taxes and contribute significantly to our state economies. 

See also:

• National Immigration Law Center, Immigrants and the US Health Care System  
• Texas Office of the Controller, Undocumented Immigrants in Texas: A Financial Analysis of the Impact to the State Budget and Economy
• Congressional Budget Office, The Impact of Unauthorized Immigrants on the Budgets of State and Local Governments
• Conservative think-tank America's Majority Foundation, Immigration and the Wealth of States
• Essential Worker Immigration Coalition, Assessing the Economic Effects of State Laws Addressing the Employment of Foreign-Born Unauthorized Workers
• Immigration Policy Center, Undocumented Immigrants as Taxpayers
• Immigration Policy Center, Assessing the Economic Impact of Immigration at the State and Local Level (April 2008)
• National Immigration Law Center, Paying Their Way and Then Some