Michigan Governor Rick Snyder says the state must do more to attract and keep immigrants in the Midwestern state.

Monday, while speaking at an immigration conference at Wayne State University, Gov. Snyder highlighted the fact that a number of Michigan-based businesses were started by immigrants, namely, Meijer Inc and Dow Chemical Co.

Snyder, a former computer exec stated, “Make no mistake about it, they (immigrants) are job creators and we should be embracing that.”

This is Gov. Snyder’s first term in office, and he has already stated that his administration will continue to develop the Global Michigan Initiative, which is a strategy that points to the substantial contributions made by immigrants as well as the boost they provide to the economy.

New York’s Mayor Bloomberg and others also participated in the conference via a video conference call in a panel called “Can Immigrants Save Detroit?”

While appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press” in May, Mayor Bloomberg gave suggested that anyone be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. “as long as they agreed to go to Detroit and live there for five or ten years,” and that by doing this, they would help the city grow its population and bring in new business.