In the black

ARE NEVADA'S HISPANIC IMMIGRANTS a drain on the state's economy? A new report commissioned by the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada says not a chance. In fact, PLAN's Vital Beyond Belief report says the Silver State's economy couldn't survive without the contributions of Hispanic immigrants.

"The tone towards immigrants has been very negative," says Bob Fulkerson, executive director of PLAN. "The bottom line is that immigrants have been vital to the building of our country and the building of Nevada."

The 23-page report was released on St. Patrick's Day in honor of the contributions of past immigrant populations, such as the Irish, who were once heavily discriminated against, says Fulkerson. PLAN commissioned the independent economist consultant group Center on Work and Community Development to compile the report. The center used U.S. Census Bureau and other national data to calculate the positive economic impact of Hispanic immigrants -- both legal and illegal -- in Nevada. Nevada ranks fifth in the nation in its total immigrant population, with an estimated 60,000 illegal immigrants from countries such as Mexico.

Center economist and director Robert Ginsburg says the report looks at the revenue generated by immigrants because, unlike costs to society, it can be accurately measured.

"Hispanic immigrants work at least the same rate or higher than other groups [in Nevada]," Ginsburg says. "It's hard to say what are the extra costs of this group, because they work."

According to the report, Nevada's Hispanic immigrants paid $1.6 billion in state and local taxes in 2005, the most recent year available. If those numbers hold true this year, then Hispanic immigrants may pay as much as a third of the taxes required for the current proposed state budget of $3.4 billion.

In addition, the report says that Hispanic immigrant employment, income and spending in Nevada generates 108,380 jobs. One of those job sectors is in real estate, which is booming in Las Vegas, according to the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals. Although the organization does not collect data specifically about immigrants who are Hispanic, it does track the buying power of Hispanics as a whole. The association estimates the buying power of Las Vegas' Hispanics at $1.9 billion, up nearly a billion from a decade ago. The Las Vegas market is considered the largest in the nation for Hispanic buying power, according to the association.

"It's huge," says Jason Madiedo, a local real estate broker and a National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals board member. "It's the American dream. While some look at the market and wonder what it will do, we see more Hispanics saying, 'I want to afford a home to raise my family.'"

Fulkerson says PLAN commissioned the report in order to combat "draconian" sentiments about immigrants as well as to influence lawmakers at the state and national levels. The group has outlined five key points concerning immigration: support reform to the system; stop raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; support education; enforce labor laws and immigration laws separately to protect workers; and don't let the state participate in the REAL ID act.

Democratic Assemblyman Moises Denis, who represents the largely Hispanic District 28 in Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, welcomes PLAN's report and has shelved his plans for a bill to do a similar study.

"The concern we have that we hear a lot about [from constituents] is immigrants costing us money," Denis says. "A lot of times that's simply not true. I wanted some information to point to when people say those things. ... I hate when there are these broad statements and misconceptions [about Hispanic immigrants]."

But not everyone agrees with PLAN's glowing assessment. The Federation for American Immigration Reform, an anti-immigration activist organization, has a different spin. The organization lobbies Congress to stop illegal immigration and to drop the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country to 1920s-era levels.

"[Illegal immigrants] are more of a fiscal drain," says Jack Martin, the federation's special projects director.

The federation has a series of reports on the cost of illegal immigrants to citizens in six states, including California, Arizona and Texas. At first glance, the federation's numbers seem to cancel out any positive economic impact by illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants cost Arizona an estimated $1.3 billion in education, prison and emergency medical services, according to the federation report for that state. (No report is available for Nevada.) However, the organization gives only cursory consideration to taxes illegal immigrants have no choice but to pay, including gasoline, property and sales.

Economists, such as those at Ginsburg's center, say it is nearly impossible to separate out an illegal immigrant's cost on the system compared with an average legal citizen. To further muddy the waters, the federation only looks at three factors in calculating the cost of illegal immigrants to society -- public education, incarceration and access to emergency medical facilities. In most states, including Nevada, it is illegal to ask if a public school student is in the country legally. In fact, both emergency medical care and public education is required to be available to everyone under federal law.