Legalize Undocumented Workers And Add $1.5 Trillion To GDP Over 10 Years

Professor Raoul Hinojosa-Ojeda of UCLA says normalizing undocumented immigrants could add $1.6 trillion to the gross domestic product over ten years, and a mass deportation program would lower the GDP by $2.5 trillion (h/t Think Progress).  Among the findings:

* Comprehensive immigration reform generates an annual increase in U.S. GDP of at least 0.84 percent. This amounts to $1.5 trillion in additional GDP over 10 years. It also boosts wages for both native-born and newly legalized immigrant workers.

* The temporary worker program generates an annual increase in U.S. GDP of 0.44 percent. This amounts to $792 billion of additional GDP over 10 years. Moreover, wages decline for both native-born and newly legalized immigrant workers.

* Mass deportation reduces U.S. GDP by 1.46 percent annually. This amounts to $2.6 trillion in lost GDP over 10 years, not including the actual cost of deportation.2 Wages would rise for less-skilled native-born workers, but would reduce wages for higherskilled natives, and would lead to widespread job loss.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.