Washington, D.C. – The Immigration Policy Center has compiled research which shows that immigrants, Latinos, and Asians are an integral part of Georgia’s and Tennessee’s economies and tax bases and are a growing share of voters in each state. As workers, taxpayers, consumers, and entrepreneurs, immigrants and their children are an economic powerhouse. As voters, they are a growing political force. As these states work towards economic recovery, immigrants and their children will continue to play a key role in shaping and growing their economic and political landscape.
Highlights from Georgia include:
– Immigrants make up about 9.1% of Georgia’s total population, and a third of them are naturalized citizens who are eligible to vote.
– The purchasing power of Georgia’s Latinos and Asians totaled $24 billion in 2008.
– If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from Georgia, the state would lose $21.3 billion in expenditures, $9.5 billion in economic output, and about 132,000 jobs.
Highlights from Tennessee include:
– Immigrants make up 4.1% of Tennessee’s total population, and a third of them are naturalized citizens who are eligible to vote.
– The purchasing power of Tennessee’s Latinos and Asians totaled $7.8 billion in 2008.
– If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from Tennessee, the state would lose $3.8 billion in expenditures, $1.7 billion in economic output, and about 26,000 jobs.