Removing Arizona's Undocumented Workers Would Shrink the Economy $48.8 Billion

Report finds that deporting Arizona’s illegal workers would result in:

• Decrease total employment by 17.2 percent
• Eliminate 581,000 jobs for immigrant and native-born workers alike
• Shrink state economy by $48.8 billion
• Reduce state tax revenues by 10.1 percent

If they offered them a path to legalization?

• Increase total employment by 7.7 percent
• Add 261,000 jobs for immigrant and native-born workers alike
• Increase labor income by $5.6 billion
• Increase tax revenues by $1.68 billion

A Rising Tide or a Shrinking Pie

Some comments from Metafilter:

States’ Rights also includes the right to fuck yourself into bankruptcy and oblivion. I see no reason why we should get in their way.

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A good chunk of the economic benefit that the US gets from “illegal immigrants” requires that they remain undocumented and illegal. If you can make the local population hate them or fear them, then you can pass laws to keep them out of schools, and then you can ensure that you always have a pliant and willing workforce. Plus, the harder you make it to get into the country, and the more dangerous you make it, the more frightened these workers remain, and the more willing they are to do whatever they are told. Brilliant, in a sick way, really.

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From it’s inception America has benefited greatly from under and non paid labor. Indeed I would argue that our current model of capitalism depends and relies upon it.