OPINION: Immigration debate should focus on jobs, not fences

By N.Y. Mayor Michael Bloomberg - 06/23/11 08:16 PM ET

Today, more than three years after our country entered its deepest recession in decades, the single most powerful (and cost-free) step that the federal government could take to spur job growth – fixing our broken immigration system – is a casualty of partisan gridlock.

A new study by the Partnership for a New American Economy found that more than 40 percent of companies on the 2010 Fortune 500 list were founded by immigrants or children of immigrants. Why? Because immigrants come here to work – and their drive and entrepreneurship have helped build the United States into the world’s largest and most innovative economy. Immigration reform would spur more new business and job growth in a broad range of industries that are critical to our recovery – and some of those businesses would become major U.S. employers and Fortune 500 companies.

Other countries recognize how critical immigrants are to economic growth and have implemented policies that open their doors to them. But in the U.S., our immigration laws are shutting out too many immigrants that our economy needs. If this continues, the consequences for our future will be dire. We cannot remain the world’s economic superpower while turning away the world’s most talented and hardest-working people.

Leaders in both parties recognize that the current system is a drag on our economy. It was encouraging to see President Obama say recently that increasing opportunities for immigrants to come here is a top priority. And likewise, it was encouraging to see House Republicans put forward a “Plan for American Job Creatorsâ€