Skip to Content

Policy

Not In Competition: Immigrants and Native-Born Workers

High levels of unemployment have led some to propagate the myth that every immigrant added to the U.S. labor force amounts to a job lost by a native-born worker, or that every job loss for a native-born worker is evidence that there is need for one less immigrant worker. In fact, this has been the rationale behind any number of harsh legislative proposals targeting immigrants. These kinds of proposals may be appealing politically, but they reflect dangerously simplistic assumptions about labor-force dynamics. Moreover, such proposals distract from the far more important goal of creating economic policies that generate growth and create jobs for workers across the U.S. labor market. As data from the 2009 Current Population Survey illustrates, most immigrant and native-born workers are not competing with each other in today’s tight job markets.

Published On: Thu, Jun 10, 2010 | Download File

New Americans in the Ocean State

The Political and Economic Power of Immigrants, Latinos, and Asians in Rhode Island.

Read more...

Published On: Wed, Jun 09, 2010 | Download File

New Americans in the Constitution State

The Political and Economic Power of Immigrants, Latinos, and Asians in Connecticut.

Read more...

Published On: Wed, Jun 09, 2010 | Download File

Reality at the U.S. Mexico Border

Experts Describe the Real Sources of Violence and How We Can Best Respond

Released on Tue, Jun 08, 2010

Washington D.C. - On Monday, the Immigration Policy Center (IPC) hosted a teleconference with border and national-security experts who dissected the myths linking immigration and border violence. These experts shared their analyses of the reality of crime and violence along the U.S.-Mexico border, what the real sources of violence are, and how the U.S. should respond.  They all made the point that nearly twenty years of immigration policy focusing on "securing the border first" has failed to address the underlying issues and criminal cartels that are the real cause of violence along the border.  The experts noted that immigration laws and policies of the past two decades have, ironically, made the border less safe and have actually benefitted the traffickers and smugglers who operate at the border.Read more...

View Release

The Anti-Immigrant Movement and the Politics of Exceptionalism

By Roxanne Lynn Doty

Patrolling the Minuteman Project’s “Huachuca Line” in southeastern Arizona in 2005, Sergeant Major likens the border watches to being in combat infantry.  There are long periods of boredom, he says.  “Then you spot an illegal and the adrenaline starts pumping.” An elderly woman wearing sandals and delicate heart-shaped earrings listens intently as he tells the group “Enjoy yourself.  You’re protecting America.”

Read more...

Published On: Fri, Jun 04, 2010 | Download File

Q&A Guide to Arizona's to New Immigration Law

What You Need to Know About the New Law and How It Can Impact Your State 

Barely a month after passage of Arizona’s tough new immigration law (SB 1070), both opponents and proponents are attempting to assess the impact the new law may have on residents of Arizona—citizens and immigrants alike. At the same time, approximately 22 states (at last count) are considering similar legislation. Multiple lawsuits have been filed challenging the constitutionality of the law, opponents are mounting a boycott, and numerous polls show that a majority of the public both supports the Arizona law and comprehensive immigration reform.

Read more...

Published On: Wed, Jun 02, 2010 | Download File

New Americans in the Yellowhammer State

The Economic Power of Immigrants, Latinos, and Asians in Alabama.

Read more...

Published On: Fri, May 28, 2010 | Download File

New Americans in the Magnolia State

The Economic Power of Immigrants, Latinos, and Asians in Mississippi.

Read more...

Published On: Fri, May 28, 2010 | Download File

Throwing Good Money After Bad: Immigration Enforcement

Immigration Enforcement without Immigration Reform Doesn’t Work

This week, the Senate will consider amendments to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill that would add thousands of additional personnel along the border (including the National Guard), as well as provide millions of dollars for detention beds, technology, and resources.  Yesterday, bowing to pressure, President Obama announced that he would send 1,200 National Guard troops to the border and request $500 million for additional resources.  All of this attention on resources for the border ignores the fact that border enforcement alone is not going to resolve the underlying problems with our broken immigration system.

Read more...

Published On: Wed, May 26, 2010 | Download File

When is Enough, Enough?

Meeting on Comprehensive Immigration Reform Ends with Call for More Enforcement

Released on Tue, May 25, 2010

Washington, D.C. - Following a meeting to discuss comprehensive immigration reform with Senate Republicans, President Obama announced that he would send 1,200 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border and would request $500 million for additional border personnel and technology as part of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill.

As we have seen time and time again, efforts to overhaul the entire immigration system have taken a back seat to the political expediency of pouring more money into border enforcement.  While it is clear that border violence must be addressed, it is also clear that enforcement alone is not a solution to our country's immigration problems.  

Over the last two decades, the United States has spent billions of dollars on border enforcement.  Since 1992, the annual budget of the U.S. Border Patrol has increased by 714 percent. At the same time, the number of Border Patrol agents stationed along the southwest border has grown by 390 percent.  Interior enforcement has expanded as well, and detentions and deportations are at record levels.  However, during the same time period, the number of undocumented immigrants in the United States has roughly tripled from 3.5 million in 1990 to 11.9 million in 2008. Yet close family members of American families continue to wait in visa backlogs that routinely last 5 to 7 years, and Americas competitiveness in the global market place is challenged by difficulties recruiting and retaining exceptional foreign workers.  Read more...

View Release

Syndicate content