The Economic Cost of Colorado’s Anti-Sanctuary Ballot Initiative
Colorado voters may be asked to consider a ballot initiative this fall that would prohibit local governments, state agencies, school boards, and universities from adopting so-called “sanctuary” policies. If the Colorado Federal Immigration Law Compliance Initiative (#169) is adopted, there could be significant economic cost to the state. Using the Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Survey (ACS) five-year data and the Regional Input-Output Modeling System (RIMS II) from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, New American Economy has estimated the economic loss as it relates to jobs, earnings, taxes, and GDP if 10 percent of undocumented immigrants currently living in Colorado were to leave the state.
New American Economy. (2018). The Economic Cost of Colorado's Anti-Sanctuary Ballot Initiative. Retrieved from https://research.newamericaneconomy.org/report/the-economic-cost-of-colorados-anti-sanctuary-ballot-initiative/