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Everyone agrees that our immigration system is broken and needs reform. While only Congress has the
power to fix the immigration system once and for all, until it acts, there are important steps the president
can take that will start fixing our system while also increasing tax revenues, and strengthening our
economy. Today, there are 106,000 undocumented immigrants living in South Carolina. Enabling even
a portion of these immigrants to register with the government, request a reprieve from removal, and apply
for a temporary work permit would increase South Carolinas tax revenues by $25 million, over five
years, and lead to a cascade of economic benefits.
Expanding deferred action will permit undocumented immigrants to work legally. Temporary work
permits will provide these workers with the ability to secure jobs that match their skill set and enhance
their productivity. As immigrants get on the books and work legally, their earnings will rise, and so too
will their tax contributions. Executive action on immigration is a step toward fixing our broken system,
and for South Carolina, it is a step toward a stronger fiscal and economic future.
Fiscal Benefits of Executive Action in South Carolina:
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There are 31,000 undocumented immigrants in South Carolina who are potentially eligible for
deferred action under President Obamas recent executive actions on immigration. If these
immigrants are able to receive a temporary work permit, it would lead to a $25 million increase in
tax revenues for South Carolina, over five years.
Expanding deferred action will significantly strengthen South Carolinas economy. When
undocumented immigrants can work legally, they are able to shield themselves against workplace
exploitation and move freely across the labor market to find jobs just like anyone else. Combined, this
leads to an 8.5% increase in their earnings. For the average undocumented immigrant that means
they are taking home an additional $1,872 each year. As these extra earnings are spent throughout the
economy, demand for goods and services rises, spurring job creation and raising the wages of all
American workers.
parents of children (who are US citizen or have Legal Permanent Resident status), and those individuals covered
under DACA expansion. The estimate isnt confined to those parents who have been in the US for longer than 5
years.