Research Area 5 - Immigration: Economics, Policies and Alternatives
Enhance the understanding of the long- and short-term economic effects of immigration
Objectives
Better explain and predict the effects of current and future immigration policies, with particular respect to:
- The workforce
- Economic and social impacts
- Public Institutions
Key Investigators
Project Details
Project 5.2 Economic Impacts of Immigration Policy
The purpose of this research is to analyze the economic incentives driving migration in today's global economy and their implications for enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. An initial report will describe large economic and demographic trends in the United States and immigrant-sending countries and what these realities suggest for key ingredients of a successful immigration policy. Subsequent reports will analyze the implications of various approaches to immigration policy and enforcement such as a merit-based (point) system, interior vs. border enforcement, the effect of changes to quotas of various visa categories on illegal immigration, and so forth.
These analyses will provide insight on the role of immigrants in the U.S. economy, the likely magnitude of demand for immigrant labor, what's at stake in eliminating illegal immigrants from the U.S. labor force, and shed light on the magnitude of "pull factors" for immigration to the United States. Because the success of any immigration policy depends on the extent to which it is congruent with the large forces driving immigration to the United States, these analyses are important background to understanding what key elements of successful immigration policy and also illuminate the enforcement challenges inherent in various approaches to immigration policy that Congress might consider.
For more details, please view the Work Plan.
