Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said immigration is an opportunity for economic growth during his first major economic speech.

Bush said the United States economy should be growing by an annual rate of 4 percent, and allowing immigrants into the country would be a great step in making that happen, according to The Associated Press.

The likely Republican presidential candidate held his speech at the Detroit Economic Club where he called for "dramatically expanding" the number of immigrants allowed to enter the U.S. to work in high-need jobs.

Bush said overhauling America's immigration is "a huge opportunity ... not a problem."

"While the political fights go on, we're missing this opportunity. I view fixing a broken system as a huge opportunity to get to that four percent growth," Bush told a group of Detroit-area business leaders.

"We can grow by 4 percent through all sorts of policies, but immigration has to be a part of it."

The U.S. economy has been growing by 2.2 percent on average, while economists predicted a 3 percent growth this year.

In a speech in San Francisco last month, Bush called immigrants, "an engine of economic vitality."

During the 2012 presidential campaign, America's growing Latino population turned away from the Republican Party when candidate Mitt Romney went against their view of Immigration Reform. Romney said he would offer a "self-deportation" system as a solution to the immigration issue.

If the Republican Party hopes to reclaim the White House in 2016, there must be a change in their view of immigration.

Bush previously said he would allow people to come to the country illegally as long as they take certain steps like paying unpaid taxes.

He said shifting the immigration debate "to an economic issue from a political issue will be helpful."

Other GOP leaders such as Sen. Marco Rubio and Gov. Scott Walker also support a new look at immigration laws.

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