WASHINGTON D.C. – Just weeks ahead of the midterm elections in California, immigration policy has emerged as a top issue for voters. While the political rhetoric on immigration may overlook important nuances about the complexity of this issue, it remains critical for the public to understand the contributions immigrants make to communities in California. 

The American Immigration Council has extensive data on the population size, educational and citizenship attainment, English proficiency levels, and tax contributions of California’s immigrant population.

The Council’s fact sheet, Immigrants in California, shows that immigrants account for over one quarter of California’s population and comprise a staggering nearly 34 percent of the entire labor force. A little over 77 percent of all workers in farming, fishing, and forestry are immigrants, as are 61.7 percent of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance employees.

The fact sheet also reveals that in 2015 immigrant entrepreneurs in California generate $21.8 billion in business revenue. In 2014, immigrants in the state paid $56.5 billion in federal taxes and $26.4 billion in state and local taxes. As consumers, immigrants spent $238.7 billion on California’s economy. Undocumented immigrants comprised 9 percent of the state’s workforce in 2014 and paid an estimated $3.2 billion in state and local taxes in 2014. 

Drawing from U.S. Census data and other sources, the Council developed fifty state fact sheets—including infographics—that provide the latest demographic and economic contributions of immigrants in each U.S. state and can be accessed here. 

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