Bloomberg wants election debate on immigration

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and News Corp. founder Rupert Murdoch are calling on political leaders to make immigration reform a national priority.

Bloomberg and Murdoch urged President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney to embrace immigration policies to help grow the U.S. economy. The two also said pro-immigrant groups must put more pressure on Washington to see changes in policies.

The mayor and media mogul discussed the economic impact of immigrants during a Tuesday evening forum hosted by the Partnership for a New American Economy and the New England Council in Boston. A report by the partnership says immigrants were responsible for 28 percent of U.S. businesses founded last year.

Earlier Tuesday, Bloomberg and former White House Chief of Staff William Daley made a similar appeal to business leaders in Chicago.

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