Immigrants help drive the Las Vegas economy

contributed more than $625 million in state and federal taxes, money that gets reinvested into our schools and roads, and roughly $1.8 billion in federal taxes, contributing to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

Our immigrant neighbors contribute more than just taxes. We benefit from their participation in our workforce and our communities. In particular, immigrants here are a driving force behind many of our city’s essential industries. In our world-renowned tourism sector, roughly 39 percent of workers were born in another country. Similarly, more than 36 percent of the labor force in the construction industry are immigrants, as well.

The fact is, without the contributions of immigrant workers many Las Vegas businesses would be unable to reach their full production potential. These individuals are 25 percent more likely to be of working age than their native-born counterparts, and therefore play a critical role in filling positions in industries facing labor shortages.

If we want our local economy to reach optimal growth, congressional leaders should work to enact reforms that make our legal immigration system more efficient for businesses to recruit the hard-working foreign laborers they require to grow.

When these workers are allowed to join our workforce they directly contribute to our prosperity.

Our immigration system must be updated. And when it is, we must ensure that the reforms that are enacted do not impede our economic growth, but rather help facilitate it. While any significant alterations to our immigration system will be made at the federal level, the effects of these policies will be felt in our local communities. As our federal elected officials work to modernize our antiquated immigration laws, they must take into account the consequences that these changes will have here at home.

The economic benefits brought to the city of Las Vegas, our state, and our country as a whole by our foreign-born residents must be embraced and encouraged if we want to stay competitive. Peter Guzman is president and CEO of the Latin Chamber of Commerce, Nevada.