Interesting article, some tex-mex food for thought?
"The Texan economy would have been almost $18 billion poorer in the last fiscal year without illegal immigrants who added to state coffers but were a drain on local government, says a report by the state comptroller.
The report � billed as the first detailed look by a state at the impact of undocumented immigrants on its budget � is likely to stir further debate on the emotional issue of illegal immigration in the United States.
The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that the United States had 11.1 million undocumented immigrants in 2005. Of these it said Texas accounted for between 1.4 million and 1.6 million.
Many Americans say illegal aliens � mostly from Mexico � take jobs from locals, depress wages and commit crimes. But many businesses say they fill a much needed gap in the labor market.
�The absence of the estimated 1.4 million undocumented immigrants in Texas in fiscal 2005 would have been a loss to our gross state product of $17.7 billion,� said Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn"
