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1,470 economists send Trump a letter to support immigrants

In this photograph provided by the National Archives, “Weeding sugar beets for $2.00 an hour” by Bill Gillette, one of 86 photographs in the exhibit “The Way We Worked” on display at the National Archives in Washington, is seen. Initially, growers hired Japanese immigrants. By the 1920s, Mexicans and Filipino field workers replaced the Japanese. They and their children worked long hours picking crops for very little money. (Bill Gillette / Associated Press)
By Josh Boak Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Almost 1,500 economists have addressed a letter to President Donald Trump and top congressional leaders stressing the importance of immigrants for economic growth.

The letter sent Wednesday notes that immigrants start businesses, are clustered in math, science and engineering and can offset any economic drag from baby boomer retirements.

It notes that “the benefits that immigration brings to society far outweigh their costs, and smart immigration policy could better maximize the benefits of immigration while reducing the costs.”

Six Nobel laureates were among the 1,470 economists who signed the letter.

The signees come from across the political spectrum, including Austan Goolsbee, an economic adviser to former President Barack Obama, and Glenn Hubbard, who worked for former President George W. Bush.