California’s economy depends on undocumented immigrants—to the tune of $151 billion

A new study finds that 1.6 million undocumented workers created 1.25 million jobs and produced 5% of the state’s gross domestic product.

The conversation around undocumented immigrants in California is inherently political, tied up in dogma and imagery. And because the state has more undocumented people than any other, it often functions as a surrogate for the national debate.