BOSTON, MA – April 29, 2026 Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship for the American Entrepreneurship for 250 Years: Driving Innovation, Growth and Opportunity hearing. Sweet issued the following statement:
“Throughout American history, immigrants have significantly contributed to the prosperity and economic growth of our country. Too often, immigrants face barriers to full economic inclusion, driving them to start their own businesses fueled by their ingenuity and ambition. In Massachusetts alone, immigrants generate roughly $130 billion annually to the Massachusetts economy and make up 28% of business owners in the state.
Businesses founded and operated by immigrants not only drive our shared prosperity, but they ensure that we remain competitive. Immigrants bring creativity, adaptation, new ideas and innovation. We must ensure that our country is a place where immigrant entrepreneurs can continue to flourish.”
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