County Executive Steve Bellone’s editorial in the Long Island Press pointed out the contributions that immigrants make to the area, including the boost they provide to the economy.

The Long Island immigrant community is a vital part of our workforce and economy as a whole, with more than half working in white-collar jobs as of 2015. Immigrants make up 18 percent of the combined population of Nassau and Suffolk counties, generating 20 percent of total economic output, according to the Fiscal Policy Institute.

Learn more by reading FPI’s report “New Americans on Long Island” and more from our Immigration Initiative.