Undocumented workers in the Northwest have a big influence on the regional economy. A pro-immigration group issued a report Wednesday estimating illegal immigrants pump about $18 billion into the regional economy. Correspondent Doug Nadvornick reports.

The Immigration Policy Center, based in the nation’s capital, pulled together immigration data from a variety of sources. Then it released fact sheets for all 50 states.

The center’s Wendy Sefsaf says the study concludes that, if all undocumented workers were booted out of the Northwest immediately, the economic impact would be huge.

Wendy Sefsaf: “The undocumented are part of our workforce and they’re people who buy and consume goods. So if you get rid of them, there’s less consumers, which means there’s less money going into an economy that supports those jobs.”

The center’s study concludes illegal immigrants have a bigger economic impact in Washington than in other Northwest states. Regionwide, the research estimates spending by undocumented workers is responsible for about 90,000 jobs.

The Pew Hispanic Center estimates five percent of Oregon workers are undocumented, compared to about three percent in Washington and Idaho.

Copyright 2010 Northwest News Network

Listen