DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - A bipartisan non-profit studying the impact immigrants have on North Texas' economy says the current system is "outdated." New American Economy released a report on immigration this week.
The group says 1.4 million immigrants live in North Texas and make up 18.7 percent of the region's economy. New American Economy says 301,843 homeowners in the area were born outside the U.S., and immigrants paid $2.9 billion in rent in 2017.
The group also says 575,350 undocumented immigrants lived in the area in 2017. Undocumented immigrants paid $775.5 million in federal taxes and $480 million in state and local taxes.
"Immigration is far more of an opportunity than it is a threat," says Jeremy Robbins, executive director of New American Economy. "It is our great competitive advantage. When people vote with their feet, they come here."
The group is calling for immigration reform. Laura Collins, the director of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative, says the system has not been updated since the 1960s.
"We have an immigration system that doesn't fit our vibrant, growing 21st century economy," she says. "We know the economy is booming right now. We know unemployment is low. We know there are entire industries with huge gaps in their workforce. They cannot find people to hire."
New American Economy says 48.7% of construction workers in North Texas were foreign born in 2017. About 30 percent of manufacturing, tourism, hospitality and recreation workers were foreign born.
The group says 404,000 jobs are open across the U.S., but the country allows just 66,000 temporary worker visas a year. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas conducted a survey of companies in Texas, finding 83% said they had trouble finding qualified candidates.
"Our advantage is slimming. Other countries are using immigration as a weapon," Robbins says. "They are saying, 'We know you want to go America, but we're going to let you in here because it's so hard to go to America.'"
A bill in the U.S. House would remove caps on the number of immigrants allowed per country and instead allow more temporary visas based on employment.
"We're not going to have comprehensive immigration reform in the next two years, given that there's a presidential election coming up. Those are tough votes people don't want to take," Collins says. "But we see a little bit of movement around the edges, on the margins. Those are big, positive changes. We'll see what happens in the Senate with it."
Among documented immigrants in North Texas, New American Economy says 44.6% are from Mexico. Nine percent are from India. No other country accounts for more than five percent of immigrants.
Online: New American Economy study
