Former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan still manages to get plenty of attention for his insightful and often provocative statements.

He didn’t fail to raise eyebrows and ire during a question and answer session at a Georgia business function a few days ago.

Greenspan said the United States economy and sinking home values would be improved if the country would open its doors wider to immigrants.

While the comments have prompted the expected knee-jerk reactions from anti-immigrant factions, the assessment is right on target.

And the issue is not one of importance only for border states such as Arizona and Texas where immigration is always a hot-button topic. Here in southern Minnesota, the future of the economy and vitality of the area is deeply dependent on a steady influx of new residents.

Simple math shows why. America is aging dramatically and people are having fewer children. As the huge segment of Baby Boomers retires there will be significant shortages of workers to fill jobs, spur the economy and pay taxes.

The problem is particularly acute here in rural Minnesota. Not only is the population aging, but young people who grew up in the area have been leaving for larger cities.

As Greenspan noted, inviting more skilled immigrants, who tend to earn enough to buy homes, is the only sustainable way to increase demand for vacant houses, increase home values and grow the economy.

The comments come at a time when a bipartisan group of Senators and the White House agreed on an immigration overhaul to grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants already here and fortify the borders against new ones.

The agreement is a sensible one. The United States must take control of its borders. No country can have a free-flow of illegal immigration without myriad problems.

But America, which has always been a melting pot, must also have a broad and welcoming system for those from other countries to earn legal citizenship and be a significant part of the country’s future economic growth.