Immigration should be supported in Michigan

After the enactment of Arizona's immigration law last year, overwhelming anti-immigration sentiment penetrated the nation. Michigan, along with many other states, brought about a similar idea in the state's last legislative session.

Officials held discussions regarding immigration reform, often focusing on issues about the services provided to and public costs associated with unauthorized immigrants. However, key points not mentioned in the discussions involve the many ways in which immigrants aid the economy, not to mention the potential cost tied to a new Michigan immigration law, similar to that of Arizona.

Providing optimism for a strong counter argument during his recent State of the State address, Gov. Rick Snyder emphasized the importance of welcoming immigrants to Michigan. He noted that is a critical first phase in extending an invitation to our state.

Immigrants are able contribute to Michigan's troubled economy in many ways, from becoming some of the state's top lawyers to pioneering profitable business ventures. Although immigrants in Michigan make up less than 6 percent of the population, they are responsible for over 32 percent of all high-tech startups, helping the state achieve a the number 3 rank among states in the U.S. providing new, tech-related business opportunities. In fact, 22 percent of the international patent applications from the state in 2006 involved a foreign-born resident as one of their key inventors.

Additional support comes from valuable evidence that claims immigrants are job creators and entrepreneurs. Between 1996 and 2007, immigrants represented 15.8 percent of new-business owners in Michigan, which rendered them three times more likely than non-immigrants to form a business.

In addition, Michigan's education system attracts the a wide range of foreign students, which feeds over $600 million per year to the state's economy. Immigrants of Michigan are also more likely to attain four-year college and Michigan MBA degrees than are native-born residents

Immigrants also contribute to tax revenues for the state via payroll taxes, sales taxes and/or property taxes. Unauthorized immigrants also help fund the Social Security system however may be ineligible to collect such benefits and are not able to receive any sort of public assistance.

The future economy of Michigan may be negatively affected by the passage of an immigration law. Border control and immigration enforcement can be a heavy financial drain, in addition to a being a diversion from public safety resources. Arizona is one example of how a state suffers from economic boycotts due to the anti-immigration efforts. Such legislation could also hinder Michigan's attractiveness as a destination for individuals and families looking to reside in America.