Economics

Undocumented Immigrants Pay Billions 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—contrary to popular misconceptions—they pay taxes to federal, state, and local governments. Their contributions would be even greater if they had a chance to… Read More

Does Pushing Undocumented Immigrants out of a State Help or Hurt the Local Economy?
As a recent Wall Street Journal article describes, Moody’s Analytics has concluded that the mass departures of unauthorized immigrants from Arizona “reduced competition for low-skilled jobs” and “was a boon for some native-born construction and agricultural workers who got jobs or raises.” However they also report it shaved roughly… Read More

How Welcoming Immigrants Gave Chicago, Dayton, and Nashville a Boost
Three geographically diverse cities have created more welcoming environments for immigrants and each has implemented initiatives that promote immigrant entrepreneurship and innovation in their communities, to the benefit of all residents. Their efforts are detailed in the report “Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Welcoming Cities: Lessons from Chicago, Dayton, and… Read More

Xenophobic Immigration Policy Would Wreck the U.S. Economy
The GOP candidates for President are falling over one another to demonstrate who would be the “toughest” on immigrants and who would finally make U.S. borders “secure.” Leading the way is Donald Trump, who issued shrill declarations during the January 14 GOP debate that “We have no borders” and… Read More

Foreign Students Add Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs to the U.S. Economy
Most people don’t think of foreign students as an economic resource, yet that is precisely what they are. Each year, students from other countries spend billions of dollars in the U.S. economy, pumping money not only into the colleges and universities they attend, but the surrounding businesses as well. In… Read More

Bipartisan Policy Center Report Makes a Case for the EB-5 Program
In a new report, the Bipartisan Policy Center weighed in on the current discussion surrounding the immigrant investor program, known as EB-5, making a case for why the program has provided positive benefits and could continue to do so in the future. The report, EB-5 Program: Successes, Challenges, and… Read More

Immigrant Entrepreneurs Launch Over One in Four New Businesses
June is Immigrant Heritage Month in the United States, a celebration of our shared heritage as a nation of immigrants and a time to reflect on how immigrants boost our economy. While immigrants make up around 13 percent of the U.S. population, they play an outsize role in entrepreneurship… 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

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
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