Immigrants in Washington: A profile for the midterm election

Just weeks ahead of the midterm elections in Washington, 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 Washington state.

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

The Council’s fact sheet, Immigrants in Washington, shows that nearly 14 percent of the state’s residents are immigrants. Washington—the state with the second-highest food production in the nation—also relies heavily on its growing immigrant population, as over half of the state’s farmers, fishers, and foresters are immigrants.

The fact sheet also reveals that immigrants in Washington state represent over 17 percent of the state’s labor force and paid $5.7 billion in federal taxes and $2.4 billion in state and local taxes in 2014. As consumers, immigrants spent $22.8 billion on Washington state’s economy in 2014. Immigrant entrepreneurs in Washington generated $1.6 billion in business revenue in 2015.