Rupert Murdoch, the founder and CEO of News Corp, issued a call for immigration reform on Wednesday, writing in the Wall Street Journal: "One of the most immediate ways to revitalize our economy is by passing immigration reform."
In the opinion piece, Murdoch expressed his fear that the primary loss by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) would mean the end of immigration reform's chances of becoming a reality and admonished political opponents of immigration reform for being "dead wrong about the long-term interests of our country."
Murdoch, who also owns 21st Century Fox, pointed to other notable business and industries that have benefitted from immigrants.
"The Partnership for a New American Economy, a bipartisan group of political and business leaders, reports that people who moved here from abroad or their children founded more than 40% of America's Fortune 500 companies -- businesses that collectively employ millions of people," Murdoch wrote. "Do Americans really wish Google, eBay, Pfizer or Home Depot HD were headquartered in Eastern Europe or China instead of America? Whether it's a high-profile tech company or a small business employing just 10 people, 28% of all new American businesses started in 2011 were founded by immigrants. Those are entrepreneurial people we want to continue to attract to our economy."
Murdoch also outlined the steps Washington should take to reform immigration to ensure the vitality of American society and the economy, including: a path to citizenship for non-criminal immigrants living in the U.S.; the removal of caps on H-1B visas, which allow companies to hire foreign workers for specialty positions; and strengthening border security.
Murdoch's full column can be read here.
This isn't the first time that Murdoch has called for immigration reform; in 2010, he joined former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg in pressing for a legal path to citizenship. After the 2012 presidential election, Murdoch sent a tweet that stated "Must have sweeping, generous immigration reform."