Policy Solutions
Given the need for immigrant workers and their valuable fiscal and economic contributions to the nation, lawmakers and a new administration should enact reforms to the immigration system which maximize the ability of immigrants to work and help the US economy.
Path to citizenship. Although opponents of immigration reform have called providing the undocumented population a “path to citizenship” an “amnesty,” or “giveaway,” such a policy would provide economic and fiscal benefits to the nation by allowing undocumented workers to fully develop their talents and contribute more to the economy. According to economists, legalizing the undocumented population would contribute $1.2 trillion to the US economy over ten years and $184 billion per year in federal, state and local taxes.
An increase in legal avenues in the US immigration system. In the current US immigration system, the number of legal avenues for workers is limited and does not meet the demands of today’s labor market, especially in the need for low-skilled workers. The creation of legal avenues would 1) establish more certainty in the labor market, as employers could plan and invest in their businesses with more confidence; 2) ensure that the maximum amount of taxes are collected from immigrants; and 3) reduce the flow of undocumented persons seeking to work in the United States, which is in the best interests of the migrant and the nation.
Oppose mass deportation plans. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has called for the mass deportation of the undocumented population, a plan which could have devastating moral, fiscal, and economic consequences for the nation. According to estimates, the plan could cost over $500 billion to implement and would sacrifice billions in tax revenue per year. It also would lead to labor shortages and reduce the GDP by $5.1 trillion over the next ten years.
The evidence shows that the US economy and the US citizenry benefits from the labor of immigrants, including undocumented immigrants. It argues for a reform of the US immigration system which emphasizes legal immigration and legal status for immigrants, so they can fully contribute their skills for the benefit of all.