Study: Legalizing Undocumented Adult Latinos Would Be Boon to State's Economy

The Los Angeles Times reported that California could reap an economic boon worth $16 billion by legalizing its 1.8 million undocumented adult Latino immigrants, according to a USC study released today. The economic benefits would come as newly legalized immigrants earned higher wages, spent more consumer dollars, paid more taxes and helped create jobs, according to the study by the USC Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration. "People keep using our economic condition as an excuse to not do comprehensive immigration reform," said Manuel Pastor, one of the study’s authors. "It’s just the opposite: What we need to do to right our economy and move forward is create a path to legalization."