The economic benefits of comprehensive immigration reform

The U.S. government has attempted for more than two decades to put a stop to unauthorized immigration from and through Mexico by implementing enforcement-only measures along the U.S.-Mexico border and at work sites across the country. These measures have failed to end unauthorized immigration and ha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Cato journal 2012-01, Vol.32 (1), p.175-200
Main Author: Hinojosa-Ojeda, Rail
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alabama
Benefits
Border patrol
Borders
Deportation
Economic analysis
Economic conditions
Economic development
Economic growth
Emigration and immigration
Emigration and immigration law
Enforcement
GDP
Government policy
Gross Domestic Product
Illegal immigrants
Immigrants
Immigration
Immigration Policy
Industry
Labor economics
Labour law
Law
Law Enforcement
Legal status, laws, etc
Local government
Mexico
Migration
National economy
National security
Noncitizens
Political aspects
Racial profiling
Recessions
Reform
Reforms
Territorial issues
U.S.A
Undocumented Immigrants
Wages
Wages & salaries
Workers
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Summary:The U.S. government has attempted for more than two decades to put a stop to unauthorized immigration from and through Mexico by implementing enforcement-only measures along the U.S.-Mexico border and at work sites across the country. These measures have failed to end unauthorized immigration and have placed downward pressure on wages in a broad swath of industries. Comprehensive immigration reform that legalizes currently unauthorized immigrants and creates flexible legal limits on future immigration in the context of full labor rights would help American workers and the U.S. economy. However, the federal government's current policy is to step up its enforcement-only strategy without creating a path to legalization for the millions of undocumented immigrants currently living in the country. Despite evidence that comprehensive reform would raise the wage floor for the entire U.S. economy, to the benefit of both immigrant and native-born workers, states such as Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina have responded to federal delay tactics by enacting laws that restrict the rights of immigrants and invite racial profiling by local law enforcement. The most well-known of these laws is S.B. 1070 in Arizona, which remains largely unenforced due to legal challenges to its constitutionality by the U.S. Department of Justice. The purpose of this article is to provide an answer to that basic question by presenting an economic analysis of the effect of different reform scenarios. If S.B. 1070-type laws accomplish the declared goal of driving out all undocumented immigrants, what effect will it actually have on national, state, and local economies? Conversely, what would be the impact on state economies if undocumented immigrants acquired legal status? The economic analysis in this article shows that the S.B. 1070 approach would have devastating economic consequences if its goals were accomplished. Adapted from the source document.
ISSN:0273-3072
1943-3468