Economic Impact
Immigrants are essential to the U.S. economy, filling roles from high-skilled tech sectors to agricultural labor and driving economic growth. They also contribute to the tax base and consumer spending. We champion reform that will maximize this effect and create a more diverse and competitive workforce.
Restrictionists Continue to Attack H-4 Work Authorization
Save Jobs USA—an organization comprised of IT workers who claim they lost their jobs to H-1B workers—still wants to overturn the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule that allows certain H-4 spouses (i.e., spouses of H-1B workers) to apply for work authorization. Although Save Jobs was unsuccessful in stopping… Read More
Annual Review of State-Level Immigration Policy Still Trending Pro-Immigrant
After long legal battles over punitive, state anti-immigration laws like Arizona’s SB1070 and Alabama’s HB56, state governments learned the limits on what types of immigration policies they can set at the local level. Since then, states have begun moving in a new direction by more generally enacting state immigration laws… Read More
A Nation of Immigrants Celebrates Fourth of July by Welcoming 4,000 New Citizens
While the Fourth of July invokes excitement as many Americans prepare to spend time with family, attend parades and watch fireworks shows, 4,000 immigrants are participating in a different sort of celebration. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is celebrating Independence Day by swearing-in over 4,000 new U.S. Read More
Immigrants Contribute to North Carolina’s Economic Vitality
With one of the highest growth rates for the immigrant population since 1990, there is mounting evidence that North Carolina’s immigrant population is a crucial contributor to the state’s economy. A new report from the North Carolina Justice Center finds that immigrants generate a larger share of economic… Read More
Son of Migrant Farmworkers Named U.S. Poet Laureate
The next poet laureate of the United States is Juan Felipe Herrera, the son of migrant farm workers. Herrera will be the first-ever Chicano poet laureate, signaling, as the Los Angeles Times put it, “…an acknowledgment of the importance of Spanish and bilingual culture in America.” Herrera writes in… Read More
U.S. Ranks 9th out of 38 Countries in Migrant Integration Policy Index Results
Immigration policy analysts released the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) results for the United States recently, including the survey’s implications for immigration and integration policy in the U.S. MIPEX is a tool which measures the immigration and integration policies of 38 countries across 167 indicators in eight policy… Read More
Court Rejects Restrictionists’ Attempts to Derail Work Authorization for H-4 Spouses
Despite immigration restrictionists’ efforts to derail implementation, a new rule went into effect this week allowing certain H-4 spouses (i.e., spouses of H-1B workers) to apply for work authorization. This new policy, announced as part of the Administration’s package of Executive Actions on immigration, permits H-4s to obtain work… Read More
Even More Evidence that Immigration Reform Saves Money
Among serious researchers, it is largely a settled matter that comprehensive immigration reform benefits the U.S. economy at all levels, from deficit reduction and added tax revenue to job creation and higher wages. That was the conclusion of the Congressional Budget Office, for instance, with regard to the Border… Read More
How Much Do Undocumented Immigrants Pay in State and Local Taxes?
Undocumented immigrants contribute to the U.S. economy in many ways. They fill essential jobs, they sustain U.S. businesses through their purchase of goods and services, and they pay taxes to federal, state, and local governments. Their contributions would be even greater if they had a chance to earn legal… Read More
White House Task Force Unveils Federal Immigrant Integration Recommendations
In cities and states across the country, there has been growing momentum towards building better immigrant and refugee integration programs . Yet there hasn’t been an official federal immigrant integration strategy until now. Last week, the White House Task Force on New Americans—an interagency effort… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
