Greenspan says illegal immigration good for the U.S.

Houston Chronicle
By: Mizanur Rahman

Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan had a lot to say today about immigration during a Senate hearing billed as the kickoff in Congress to debate over reform this year.

His most headline-grabbing remark? Illegal immigration has been good for the country. The testimony came during New York Sen. Charles Schumer's hearing titled "Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2009, Can We Do It and How?"

Bloomberg reports:

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said that illegal immigration makes a "significant" contribution to U.S. economic growth by providing a flexible workforce.

Greenspan, appearing before a Senate subcommittee today, said illegal immigrants provide a "safety valve" as demand for workers rises and falls.

"There is little doubt that unauthorized, that is, illegal, immigration has made a significant contribution to the growth of our economy," Greenspan said. An overhaul of U.S. immigration laws is "badly needed" to create legal avenues for skilled and unskilled workers to enter the country legally, he said.

"Our immigration laws must be reformed and brought up to date," Greenspan told the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security.


Greenspan went on to testify that the federal government should allow more foreign workers to enter the U.S. labor force.

Not everyone embraced Greenspan's glowing view of undocumented workers. A statement from the Federation for American Immigration Reform :

Two years ago, a small group of senators emerged from behind closed doors with a bill offering amnesty to illegal aliens, cheap foreign workers to business interests, and vague promises of immigration enforcement. Despite that bill being overwhelmingly opposed by the American public, the U.S. Senate is laying the groundwork yet again.

"A lot has changed in the past two years," noted Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). "Our economy has gone into a tailspin, unemployment has doubled, government at every level is running massive deficits, and the public recognizes more than ever that their own interests are being ignored by the political and economic elite.

"What hasn't changed is the arrogance and indifference of many in Washington, and the demands of the special interests seeking political and economic gain at the expense of hard-working, law-abiding Americans," continued Stein. "Rather than an honest attempt to assess the social, economic, fiscal and environmental impact of a massive amnesty and foreign guest-worker bill, today's hearing amounts to little more than a kangaroo court in which the special interests get to play the roles of witness, judge and jury."