Research proves that immigration and economic progress go hand in hand. Contrary to fears that immigrants will take American jobs and make unemployment even worse, studies show that mending our broken U.S. immigration system would actually help end America's job crisis.

One reason why open immigration policies would create more jobs for more Americans is because immigrants tend to be more entrepreneurial and innovative than native-born Americans, and are twice as likely to start businesses.

While immigrants make up 13 percent of the U.S. population, they account for nearly 20 percent of small businesses owners and are responsible for more than 25 percent of all new business creation and related job growth, the National Journal reports.

According to a 2012 study from the Fiscal Policy Institute, immigrant-owned small businesses employed nearly five million Americans in 2010 and generated an estimated $776 billion in revenue. Plus, the Partnership for a New American states that more than 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or first generation Americans.

In addition, immigrants are also responsible for launching half of the nation's top startups which account for virtually all net new job creation, according to the Kauffman Foundation. 

In 2011, immigrants received more than 75 percent of almost 1,500 patents awarded at the nation's top 10 research universities, while most of the patents were in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Tim Rowe, founder of the Cambridge Innovation Center in Cambridge, Mass., told the Wall Street Journal that "our immigration policy is built around the notion that we have to protect American jobs. But we've got it backward. We're threatening the creation of new jobs by preventing these incredibly talented entrepreneurs from overseas from coming here and building their businesses here."

Rob Lilleness, president and chief executive of software developer Medio Systems in Seattle, Wash., added that immigration restrictions often force new companies to outsource jobs. "We have to look at India, or Argentina, or Vietnam, or China because there's not enough H-1B visas," he said.

One of the chief concerns of the Republican Party is to focus on boosting the economy and creating American jobs. Yet, by failing to pass comprehensive immigration reform for yet another year, House Republicans may not only be hurting immigrants, but they may also be hurting the country's economy.