The empirical evidence supporting comprehensive immigration reform just keeps growing stronger.

Take the updated October study from a coalition representing Minnesota's business community. For several years, leaders of local business groups have laid out the pragmatic economic case for bringing undocumented workers some type of legal status.

The Minnesota Business Immigration Coalition has documented why any state investment in immigrants brings multiple returns. The business group rightly refers to immigrants as important state "capital'' for their contributions as consumers, taxpayers, workers, business owners — and for their connections to global markets.

The group's research shows that immigrants contribute more than $22 billion to the state's economy each year. They pay $1.2 billion in state and local taxes and, even though many are not eligible for Social Security benefits, they contribute more than $1.5 billion into the system that helps makes retirement affordable for the rest of us.

Immigrants also are key to the state's supply of workers and students, accounting for nearly 29 percent of Minnesota's population growth from 2000 to 2013.

Reasonable Americans can disagree over whether President Obama's executive order approach is right, but those who argue against what he is trying to accomplish should consider the economic impact.

Congress needs to get on board and overhaul the system sooner rather than later. Just ask the members of this state's business community who continue to strongly support immigration reform — and back up their argument with numbers.