ktrh.com
By KTRH STAFF
Thursday, January 12, 2012

Poll at link



Houston should rollout the welcome mat for noncitizens in the U.S. illegally, according to a new report issued this week by the Greater Houston Partnership.

In the report compiled by the pro business group, legalizing Houston-area undocumented workers would generate about $1.4 billion annually in lost tax revenue. The total savings could be much higher according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

Houston is the home of more than an estimated 130,000 illegal immigrants who earn about $7 billion in wages. Currently, those wages go untaxed and leave the city losing an estimated $1.4 billion in revenue.

The federal government could also receive additional revenue if employers began paying into the system – Including Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance and federal income taxes.


Houston’s Morning News recently spoke with Mark Krikorian from the Center for Immigration Studies. Did you hear KTRH’s Matt Patrick discuss the weakening of our border with Mexico?




Additional revenue generated from legalizing immigration is the focus of the new report and does not factor in the current or future costs to taxpayers in service provided by the city and county. The Pew Hispanic Center issued a report in 2010 that put Texas' undocumented population at about 1.65 million. They are estimated to have cost Texas more than a billion dollars in 2009 just to teach illegal immigrant students.

Groups advocating amnesty for noncitizens point to the additional savings cities, states and the federal government would receive if illegal immigrants were given U.S. citizenship.
Read more: NONCITIZENS WELCOME - KTRH NewsRadio 740 Houston News, Weather, Traffic