White House talks up immigration gains

dreamstime_11606752The White House claims that the naturalization of undocumented immigrants would be a massive boon for the economy of the United States as they continue to try to push the House of Representatives into accepting the need to pass legislation for immigration reform.

The comprehensive bill, which was passed by the Senate back in June, would offer a path to US citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants that are believed to be already living in the country, a move that the White House insists would boost the US dollar by as much as $1.4 trillion over the course of the next ten years, according to estimates taken from outside sources.  Another report from the White House indicates that there would also be a rise in total income for all Americans of $791 billion, as well as a further $184 billion in extra federal and state tax revenue and two million more jobs created.

The White House says that one solution offered by some members of Congress, to grant undocumented immigrants some form of legal status without actually offering citizenship, would not offer anything like the same benefits to the economy.

The “legislation only” approach would violate “a basic principle of our country: that anyone, no matter where they came from, can become an American citizen if they’re willing to work for it and take on the responsibilities of citizenship,” the report states.  Immigration reform is facing an uncertain future in the House of Representatives, which is controlled by the Republican Party.