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The “Secure America through Verification and Enforcement” (“SAVE Act”) of 2007 (H.R. 4088) Summary and Analysis of Provisions
The “SAVE Act” was introduced in November 2007 by Reps. Heath Shuler (D-NC) and Brian Bilbray (R-CA). A companion bill (S. 2368) has been introduced in the Senate by Sens. Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA). The “SAVE Act” is an immigration enforcement-only package that would dramatically expand the error-ridden Basic Pilot electronic employment verification system and make a number of harsh and unnecessary changes to current law . The Basic Pilot system is currently used by only 30,000 employers, but would expand to cover over 6 million employers in just four years – roughly a 20,000 percent increase. Beyond that, the bill seeks to increase the Border Patrol and spend more resources on the southern border, codify recently withdrawn DHS regulations related to the Social Security Administration “no match” letters, expand local police responsibilities to include immigration enforcement, and a number of other enforcement measures. Absent from the bill are any provisions that would address the more than 12 million people in the US without status.
Read MoreRethinking the Effects of Immigration on Wages: New Data and Analysis from 1990-2004
By Giovanni Peri, Ph.D.A crucial question in the current debate over immigration is what impact immigrants have on the wages of native-born workers. At first glance, it might seem that the simple economics of supply and demand provides the answer: immigrants increase the supply of labor; hence they should decrease the wages of native workers. However, the issue is more complicated than this for two reasons that have been largely overlooked. First, immigrants and natives tend to differ in their educational attainment, skill sets, and occupations, and they perform jobs that often are interdependent. As a result, immigrants do not compete with the majority of natives for the same jobs. Rather, they “complement” the native-born workforce—which increases the productivity, and therefore the wages, of natives. Second, the addition of new workers to the labor force stimulates investment as entrepreneurs seize the opportunity to organize these new workers in productive ways that generate profits. When these two factors are included in the analysis of immigration and wages, it becomes clear that immigration has a positive effect on the wages of most native-born workers.
Read MoreImmigrant Athletes in the Summer 2004 Olympics
Immigrants and the children of immigrants are prominent among the athletes representing the United States in the 2004 Olympics. The stories of these immigrant athletes offer a vivid glimpse of the immigrant experience in the United States.
Read MoreI Just Finished a Life-Changing Semester Abroad. But Thanks to Trump’s Policies, I’m Afraid Other Students Won’t Have the Same Opportunity.
My life-long dream of living outside of the United States was recently fulfilled when I embarked on my journey to Madrid, Spain. My decision to reside in Spain for the past four months was influenced by the many years I had spent diligently studying the Spanish language. What first started as a school graduation requirement […]
Read MoreSupreme Court Decision Sparks Confusion, Creates New Hurdles for Federal Court Review of Removal Orders
The Supreme Court’s newest immigration-related decision creates a conundrum: certain noncitizens must now appeal their deportation orders before their removal proceedings are even finished. The decision, Riley v. Bondi, is sure to make it more difficult for those noncitizens—all of whom are seeking protection from persecution or torture—to get federal court review of their cases. […]
Read MoreTransforming Together
Belonging is a powerful force linked to health, happiness, and productivity. Yet in today’s divided society, belonging remains fraught and fragile, with most Americans reporting feelings of non-belonging at work and in their communities. In 2022, the American Immigration Council’s Center for Inclusion and Belonging created the Belonging Innovation Lab Fellowship to support and strengthen […]
Read MoreImpugnando el Cierre del Acceso al Asilo en los Puertos de Entrada
El 20 de enero de 2025, la Administración Trump canceló el acceso al proceso de asilo estadounidense en los puertos de entrada de la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México. Ese mismo día, canceló aproximadamente 30,000 citas de inspección en los puertos, programadas a través de la aplicación móvil CBP One, que estaban programadas para […]
Read MoreTrump Creates New System to Impose Millions in Fines on Undocumented Immigrants
Under a new system put in place by the Trump administration on June 27, immigration officers may be able to impose penalties of millions of dollars on certain undocumented immigrants, putting them at risk not only of deportation but of crushing financial debt. Under this new procedure, designed to reduce the due process available to […]
Read MoreIn Birthright Citizenship Decision, the Supreme Court Expanded Trump’s Power
On the surface, the Supreme Court’s ruling in the birthright citizenship case Trump v. CASA was about the dry legal question of whether federal district courts can issue “universal” injunctions—orders constraining the government from acting against individuals beyond those who brought the lawsuit. But the impact of the Court’s decision is likely to be seismic, […]
Read MoreSenate Approves Unprecedented Spending for Mass Deportation, Ignoring What’s Broken in our Immigration System
Washington DC, July 1, 2025 — On July 1, the U.S. Senate passed a budget reconciliation bill that includes an unprecedented allocation of funds for immigration detention and enforcement while simultaneously stripping healthcare from millions of Americans. The bill, passed today with Vice President JD Vance contributing the tie-breaking vote, earmarks some $170 billion for […]
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