Center for Immigration Studies

Center for Immigration Studies

Houston Has This Immigrant CEO to Thank for Clean Streets

Houston Has This Immigrant CEO to Thank for Clean Streets

Maria Rios describes herself as “the ultimate example of the impact of immigrants in the United States.” The founder and CEO of Nation Waste, Inc., a waste removal company based in Texas, Rios emigrated from El Salvador with her family when she was 13. “When I arrived to the United… Read More

Nepali Refugee Doesn’t Let Job, Business or Family Stand in Way of Volunteering: ‘We Want To Give Back’

Nepali Refugee Doesn’t Let Job, Business or Family Stand in Way of Volunteering: ‘We Want To Give Back’

When Jay Subedi arrived in Syracuse, New York, with his parents, wife, and baby daughter in November 2008, it was one of the coldest, snowiest seasons in recent memory. The city wasn’t just blisteringly cold, but, like the rest of the country, mired in a recession. Subedi, a native of… Read More

Two People Died in Immigration Detention This Week

Two People Died in Immigration Detention This Week

For more than a decade, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been criticized for the inadequate medical care available in its detention facilities, which has had deadly repercussions. This week, two more people died while in ICE custody—Jose Leonardo Lemus Rajo, 23, of El Salvador and Igor Zyazin,… Read More

Immigration Policy Is Preventing This New York Family From Fully Contributing to U.S. Economy

Immigration Policy Is Preventing This New York Family From Fully Contributing to U.S. Economy

Rosibel Granada is proud of what her three sons—ages 19, 22, and 28—have been able to accomplish since they came to the United States 13 years ago from El Salvador. The eldest works in real estate; her middle child is a chef; and the youngest is in community college, studying… Read More

Indiana’s Primary: Immigrants in the Hoosier State

Indiana’s Primary: Immigrants in the Hoosier State

The 2016 primaries are rapidly nearing a close, and today the votes are being held in Indiana. There are 57 Republican delegates and 83 Democratic delegates to be awarded, and they can be critical wins for any candidate to secure nomination. Indiana’s immigrant population growth was relatively slow… Read More

His Mother was Resilient, but Young Mexican-American Says it’s Citizenship That Ensures His Own Success

His Mother was Resilient, but Young Mexican-American Says it’s Citizenship That Ensures His Own Success

Jesus Arzola-Vega credits his mother’s intelligence and resilience with motivating him to earn a college degree and become a business policy fellow at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. His mother had arrived in Detroit from Mexico as an undocumented immigrant and, to provide for her three young children, slogged… Read More

Demand for Bilingual Workers Increasing in Maryland

Demand for Bilingual Workers Increasing in Maryland

As employers strive to increase their competitiveness in the global economy, they are increasingly seeking candidates who have the language skills necessary to communicate with a diverse customer base, and with operations and competitors overseas. New analysis of Burning Glass data explores the growing demand for bilingual talent in Maryland… Read More

As Immigration Process Crawls, Many Bright Workers Leave the Country, Says Immigrant Tech Worker

As Immigration Process Crawls, Many Bright Workers Leave the Country, Says Immigrant Tech Worker

Shri Balachandran, a technology specialist in Plano Texas, knows that America’s strength depends on its ability to recruit and retain international talent. “In technology, roughly two of every three people on the technical side and the senior business side of things are usually immigrants,” he says. “The trend is very… Read More

Weekend Reading: Highlights from this week’s immigration news (April 25-29)

Weekend Reading: Highlights from this week’s immigration news (April 25-29)

On Tuesday, Maryland’s Governor Larry Hogan signed into law the Maryland Seal of Biliteracy Act. The law establishes a program to recognize high school graduates who have attained proficiency in at least one language in addition to English. The Seal of Biliteracy is an important initiative to promote foreign language… Read More

Without Direct Path to Citizenship, Child Immigrant Struggles to Find Work

Without Direct Path to Citizenship, Child Immigrant Struggles to Find Work

As a customer service supervisor for Delta Airlines, Carlos Garcia spends his day solving problems for airline passengers. They don’t know he spent most of his life living on the outskirts of American society as an undocumented immigrant. Garcia arrived in Atlanta with his parents at age 13, and as… Read More

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