Houston Business Study Says Economy Would Be Crippled by Deportations

May 19, 2008, 4:11PM
Study: Loss of illegal immigrants would cripple economy

By JENALIA MORENO
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Eliminating illegal immigrants would cripple the national economy, according to a study backed by Houston business leaders.

Kicking the 8.1 million undocumented immigrants who work as bus boys, landscapers and other jobs out of the country would cost nearly $1.8 trillion in annual spending, the study by the Perryman Group said.

Texas would be the second-hardest hit state after California if the state's 1.2 million undocumented workers disappeared, the study said, removing $220.7 billion in spending within the Lone Star State.

The study was released Monday by the Americans for Immigration Reform, a group spearheaded by the Greater Houston Partnership.

The group hopes to convince politicians and the public that the nation's immigration laws must be changed.

It plans to raise $12 million by December to campaign for immigration reform and so far has raised about 10 percent of that goal in pledges.

Local business leaders want an immigration reform plan that would give employers a way to hire immigrants legally.

"We need comprehensive reform that looks at our needs and addresses those needs," said Ray Perryman, president of Waco-based Perryman Group.

Perryman said that many with the nation's baby boomers retiring and a low unemployment rate, undocumented immigrants perform the jobs other American workers could not.

Although Congress has not passed an immigration reform bill, Americans continue to debate the issue.

Groups like the Washington, D.C.-based Federation for American Immigration Reform support restricting immigration and disagree with the argument that Americans won't do the jobs immigrants do.

"In many cases, there were people doing the jobs before the illegal immigrants showed up," said Ira Mehlman, national media director for the federation. "In many cases, these are just subsidized jobs because the employer can get away with whatever he's paying."

A 2007 report by that organization indicate said the costs of education health care and incarceration of undocumented immigrants in six states including Texas exceeds $27 billion annually.

jenalia.moreno@chron.com