Colorado leaders from across the state highlight positive impact of Dreamers on Colorado businesses and the economy
DENVER, CO – On Wednesday, November 15, 2017 Colorado business leaders joined a press call to address the urgency of passing a legislative solution for Dreamers before the end of the year. Roughly 800,000 young people who came to the United States as children stand to lose their protections from deportation and their ability to work if Congress does not pass a legislative solution.
Colorado is home to 17,300 Dreamers and stands to lose $856.9 million in annual GDP if these hardworking individuals are ripped from the state workforce. If a Dream Act is passed, the state GDP could increase by $438 million over the next decade. On the call, local and state business leaders shared how Dreamers play a critical role in the workforce and urged Members of Congress to pass a permanent legislative solution to keep families together and keep Colorado’s economy moving.
A new study released this week by FWD.us found that if a Dream Act is not passed and implemented by March 5, nationwide nearly 300,000 DACA recipients, 1,700 per business day, will be removed from the workforce between March 6th and November 6th. Kicking Dreamers out of the workforce will result in more than $460 billion in lost GDP over the next decade, a devastating blow to our economy. In contrast, new estimates show that passing a Dream Act that creates an earned pathway to citizenship for Dreamers could add as much as $1 trillion to the national GDP over a decade.
“We thank Senator Bennet and Senator Gardner for cosponsoring the Dream Act,” said Mizraim Cordero, VP of Government Affairs, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. “We urge all members of our Congressional delegation to support this legislative solution to help Coloradans.”
“DACA recipients are talented, hardworking, and full of potential and promise. Many live here in Colorado, work in our mountain communities, and attend our local colleges, like Colorado Mountain College in Eagle County,” said Chris Romer, President & CEO of the Vail Valley Partnership. “In Congressional District 3, removing DACA recipients from the workforce would cost us $95.7 million in annual GDP loss. This is not just a social issue, this is an economic issue.”
“Dreamers make significant and enduring contributions to the business community. Six percent of Dreamers are entrepreneurs who start businesses and employ native-born Americans at their companies, helping to grow our economy, expand opportunity, and grow the American middle class,” said Jeff Wasden, President of the Colorado Business Roundtable. “In Colorado, 34,000 individuals in the workforce would be eligible for the Dream Act – passing this legislation would increase the GDP to $438 million over time.”
“I am just one of many DREAMers in Colorado who works everyday to strengthen my local community. If Congress cannot pass a legislative solution for DREAMers and my DACA card expires, I and many others will lose our jobs. If I can no longer work, how will the people of my community get the help they need?” said Dreamer Claudia Garcia, a Cultural Navigator for the Tri-County Health Network. “I don’t want to spend the holiday season having to worry about if this is my last holiday in the United States. I need Congress to act now and I urge my Congressman Scott Tipton, and other members of the Colorado delegation to stand with DREAMers and support DREAMer legislation before the year is up.”
About FWD.us: FWD.us is a bipartisan organization started by key leaders in the tech and business community to promote policies to keep the United States competitive in a global economy, starting with commonsense immigration reform and criminal justice reform.