Business and the Workforce
Immigrants not only bring diverse skills and perspectives to the U.S. workforce, they often fill employment gaps in crucial fields. We advocate for expanded work visas and related programs so our labor force can continue to benefit from immigrant workers and remain competitive in the global economy
Houston Chronicle: Press 1 for English? These days, biliteracy deserves not just tolerance, but academic rewards [Editorial]
“English! English! Go back to Mexico. You’re in America!” Not so long ago, that response, described in an ethnography by University of Texas professor Angela Valenzuela, is what Texas schoolchildren could expect for speaking Spanish in the hallways. Punishments and reprimands were common experience for students whose open use of… Read More
Missoulian: Report: Immigrants in the Missoula region generate over $26M in tax revenue each year
Although immigrants make up only 2.3 percent of the total population of Missoula and four surrounding counties, those 4,654 people contributed $219.9 million to the goods produced and services provided in the region, $19.3 million in federal taxes and $7 million in state and local taxes in 2016 alone. That… Read More
The Dallas Morning News: ‘How do we protect them?’ Dallas leaders look to help immigrants and the economy
We could mess up the so-called Texas miracle. Cutting off immigration, for instance, “would make it impossible” for the state to keep growing jobs at roughly double the national rate, Dallas Fed economist Pia Orrenius said last week. Keeping out immigrants would also take us out of the competition to attract top… Read More
Judge Rules USCIS Must Adjudicate Employment Authorization for Asylum Seekers Within 30-Days
A judge ordered last week that United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must adjudicate work authorization applications for asylum seekers within the prescribed 30-day deadline. Read More
Immigrants Were Responsible for One-Quarter of Population Growth in Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana between 2011 and 2016
FORT WAYNE, IN – Immigrants in Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana accounted for 24.7 percent of overall population growth in the region between 2011 and 2016 according to a new report by New American Economy (NAE), in partnership with Welcoming Fort Wayne, the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, and the… Read More
Foreign-Born Residents in Alexandria Paid $365 Million in Taxes in 2016
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Immigrants in the City of Alexandria paid $364.6 million in taxes in 2016, including $262.4 million in federal taxes and $102.2 million in state and local taxes, according to a new report by New American Economy (NAE), in partnership with the City of Alexandria Workforce… Read More
Economist Escapes Ethiopia to Start Own Business in the U.S.
In his native Ethiopia, where he’d earned an economics degree and held a government job calculating GDP statistics, Mahfuz Mummed faced a quandary. He’d given eight years of loyal service when his bosses began pressuring his department to falsify data. Mummed watched as colleagues who protested faced violent reprisals. “I… Read More
Ethiopian Immigrant Fulfills Her Dream of Owning a Business
Rhoda Worku was a college student in Ethiopia when civil war broke out. Her father, a high-ranking member of the government, was executed and her mother was imprisoned. Eventually, Worku’s mother was released but life barely improved. “We didn’t have anything,” Worku says. “The government took everything from us.” In… Read More
Bolivian Immigrant Proud to Serve His New Country’s Air Force
Growing up in La Paz, Bolivia, Fernando Torrez was fascinated with American super hero cartoons. In 1996, when he was 12, his parents brought him and his older sister to Colorado in search of the American dream. There, he encountered real-life American heroes: cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Read More
American Companies Should Be Able to Hire Foreign Seasonal Workers – Trump’s Businesses Do
Kitchens, restaurants, and housekeeping departments in high-end resorts are often staffed with foreign seasonal workers, who arrive into the United States during peak vacation months. American vacation destinations including resorts—which frequently tout costly club memberships—can employ foreign workers through the H-2B visa program if there are… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
