This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Monday, October 12, 2015. I'm Caleb Brown.

Immigration is one of the largest sticking points in American politics

with massive implications for our economy, culture, and elections. Bill Richardson served

as governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011. We spoke about the promise of immigration reform on

October 2nd.

You were a border governor for many years. What experiences tell you that immigration is a net positive for the U.S. economy?

Well, it was a net positive in New Mexico.

43% of our state is Hispanic.

We're a border state. We did have some border violence

issues, but we didn't have heavy illegal immigration flows. We had some. But what I

found was the best thing to do was integrate these immigrants into society,

into the economy.

We had a dream act early on that allowed immigrant kids to get education, so long as they fulfill the same academic

conditions as any other New Mexican.

We also provided licenses, drivers licenses to immigrants.

This is a positive because it increases safety.

You find out where they are because they've given you their target, their address.

It increases insurance rates, they're insured, but mainly safety in the highways.

My head of Homeland Security said,

governor signed this bill that gives them driver's licenses

because it'll increase safety on our highways.

We had big DWI problems, big problems with a lot of accidents and it found we found that the licenses

...