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
Reason for Reform: Entrepreneurship
New American Economy released a report detailing the outsized role immigrants play as entrepreneurs in the U.S. economy. In 2014, America’s foreign-born population owned close to three million businesses, generating over $65 billion in business income. The report draws on the American Community Survey, the Survey of Small Business Owners, and… Read More
A Look at Successful Restaurant Owner Who ‘Came Here with Nothing’
Lauro Davalos was 17 and alone when he crossed the border from Mexico. He’d graduated from the first grade only, then had to work. The United States, he’d gleefully tell people on the family farm, offered better, and he was going. After a circuitous route through… Read More
Immigration a Boon to U.S. Economy Finds National Panel of Experts
mmigrants and their descendants make valuable contributions to the U.S. economy, according to a new report just released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine entitled, The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration. The exhaustive report is written by a nationally recognized panel of experts. It takes… Read More
Inspired by his Refugee Parents, Cuban Entrepreneur Builds a Successful Liquor Business
When Rick Martinez’s parents sought to leave Cuba in the 1970s, the government punished Martinez’s family. Later, the regime relented and allowed them to leave with only the clothes on their backs. “I look back at everything they did, and I can’t fathom leaving my country like that,” says Martinez,… Read More
CEO of Indianapolis Power and Light Believes Immigrants Power State Economy
After graduating from university in Puerto Rico, Rafael Sanchez and his wife sold their belongings and moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, to study law – only to realize that Fort Wayne didn’t have a law school. “When you’re young and stupid, your only due diligence is, ‘Where do we know… Read More
Smart Immigration Policy a Competitive Advantage, Says South African Immigrant Entrepreneur
Greg Fisher grew up in a small town outside Johannesburg, South Africa, where he had a successful career with Deloitte and started a corporate e-learning company that hit $1 million in annual revenues before he sold it to a large consulting firm. Now, Fisher, who was recently named one of… Read More
A Former Migrant Worker Sends Young Immigrants to the Ivy League
Martin Mares has achieved something single-handedly that virtually no other person in the United States has done. He’s personally helped over 280 teenagers from Parlier, Calif. and the surrounding communities, many of them ESL students from poor immigrant families, earn acceptance into the Ivy Leagues. Over a 1,500 more of… Read More
Municipality, NAE Release Anchorage-Specific Data on New Americans’ Contributions to Local Economy
Municipality, NAE Release Anchorage-Specific Data on New Americans’ Contributions to Local Economy ANCHORAGE, AK – Today at noon, Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, First Lady Dr. Mara Kimmel, and AEDC President Bill Popp will host a “Lunchtime Talk” to discuss the economic impacts of new Americans in Anchorage. At… Read More
Cuban Immigrant Comes Up with a Valuable Healthcare Idea for Visitors
“I’m so blessed to have been given the opportunity by this wonderful country to enter as an immigrant and build my life here,” says Cuban-born entrepreneur Ileana Thomas, the founding CEO of Medical Services Corporation (MSC), an Orlando-based company that provides medical “house calls” to tourists. Thomas had arrived in… Read More
Why Does U.S. Policy Reject Immigrant Talent? ‘Why Are We Economically Restricting Ourselves?’ American Lawyer Asks
Idaho native Richard L. Ruth, the managing principal of Ruth Law, became an immigration attorney after many years in labor law. Today, he has 20 years of experience under his belt. “I find the practice of immigration law extremely rewarding,” he says. “With litigation, I won a lot of cases,… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
