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The U.S. Growth Problem Debunking Immigration Myths Economic Benefits of Immigration Pro-Growth Immigration Reform

Introduction

Everybody wants a stronger economy: growing wages, more jobs, entrepreneurial vigor, and companies that are the envy of the world. Legal immigration can contribute to all of these goals. The United States does not need to fear immigrants, but it should reform the immigration system to focus on economic skills rather than family ties. Doing so can capture more of the benefits that immigrants bring, growing the economy overall while providing more opportunities and higher wages for native-born workers.

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The U.S. Growth Problem

Insight

The United States’ Growth Problem

Economic growth in the United States is slowing: It will take twice as long for the standard of living to double in the future as it did over the last 70 years.  The native-born U.S. population is shrinking, reducing the…

Multimedia

The Immigration Opportunity: America’s Growth Problem

Douglas Holtz-Eakin

Economic growth in the United States is stagnating. AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin explains why immigration reform can boost economic growth and thus contribute to a higher standard of living.

Research

Building a Pro-Growth Legal Immigration System

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Jacqueline Varas

This new proposal for a points-based system is designed to shift the United States away from prioritizing non-economic immigration and toward focusing legal immigration on the demands of a productive labor force.

Multimedia

#Eakinomics: The U.S. Needs Immigration Reform

Douglas Holtz-Eakin

New in #Eakinomics – AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin explains why our immigration choices dictate the economic future of the United States.

Interested in knowing some of the immigration proposals out there? Check out Douglas Holtz-Eakin immigration reform proposal, co-authored by Jackie Varas.

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Debunking Immigration Myths

Insight

Debunking Immigration Myths

Myth 1: The United States doesn’t need more immigration. Reality: The United States needs immigration if it wants to maintain a strong economy. Native birth rates are below the replacement level, which means—without immigration—a smaller population, fewer workers, and thus a shrinking economy.

Infographic

Debunking Immigration Myths

Does immigration really hurt the U.S. economy? We examine some of the common arguments made against legal immigration.

Insight

Are Immigrants Driving Income Inequality?

Jacqueline Varas, Maximilian Maydanchik

Executive Summary Immigrants arriving to the United States today from every region of the world are more educated than in the past, leading to substantial wage gains over time; the income distribution of immigrants now closely mirrors the distribution for…

Op-Ed

Restricting Legal Immigration to America Won’t Help Our Economy

Jacqueline Varas

American Action Forum Director of Immigration and Trade Policy Jacqueline Varas explains why restricting legal immigration will not help the U.S. economy in today's The Hill. See excerpt below: "The argument that immigrants harm American workers is also flawed. Adding immigrant…
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Economic Benefits of Immigration

Insight

Economic Benefits of Immigration

Through a variety of mechanisms, immigrants boost the economy, with the result that immigrants contributed 15 percent to the economy between 1990 and 2016. Immigrants not only increase aggregate demand and the size of the labor force but also boost…

Multimedia

The Immigration Opportunity: The Economic Benefits of Immigration

Douglas Holtz-Eakin

There’s more to immigration reform than legalization. AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin explains why immigration is the key to economic growth.

Multimedia

#Eakinomics: The U.S. Needs Immigration Reform

Douglas Holtz-Eakin

New in #Eakinomics – AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin explains why our immigration choices dictate the economic future of the United States.

Interested in knowing some of the immigration proposals out there? Check out Douglas Holtz-Eakin immigration reform proposal, co-authored by Jackie Varas.

Op-Ed

Dreamers and Pro-Growth Immigration Reform

Douglas Holtz-Eakin

Senators Durbin and Graham recently reintroduced the DREAM Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children, a group known as "Dreamers." In an op-ed for The Hill, AAF President Douglas…

Insight

How Immigration Helps U.S. Workers and the Economy

Jacqueline Varas

The impact of immigration on American workers is an increasingly relevant question. President Trump argues that “decades of immigration have produced lower wages and higher unemployment for our citizens.” He also contends that low-skilled immigration is responsible for African-American and…

Research

Building a Pro-Growth Legal Immigration System

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Jacqueline Varas

This new proposal for a points-based system is designed to shift the United States away from prioritizing non-economic immigration and toward focusing legal immigration on the demands of a productive labor force.
Load More Posts from Economic Benefits of Immigration

Pro-Growth Immigration Reform

Insight

Pro-Growth Immigration Reform

The United States grants two-thirds of its visas based on family connections, while other countries such as Australia and Canada focus their immigration systems on economics. The key to pro-growth legal immigration reform is to fundamentally revamp the core visa-granting…

Multimedia

The Immigration Opportunity: Reforming the Path to Legal Immigration

Douglas Holtz-Eakin

The debate surrounding immigration reform is just beginning. AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin sums up American Action Forum’s pro-growth proposal.

Research

Building a Pro-Growth Legal Immigration System

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Jacqueline Varas

This new proposal for a points-based system is designed to shift the United States away from prioritizing non-economic immigration and toward focusing legal immigration on the demands of a productive labor force.

Infographic

Visa Granting System

Op-Ed

Dreamers and Pro-Growth Immigration Reform

Douglas Holtz-Eakin

Senators Durbin and Graham recently reintroduced the DREAM Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children, a group known as "Dreamers." In an op-ed for The Hill, AAF President Douglas…

Insight

Examining the Latest Immigration Reform Legislation

Whitney Appel, Douglas Holtz-Eakin

Executive Summary As part of President Biden’s larger immigration reform plan, the House passed two immigration bills last week, the Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. Both bills offer a path to legalization for certain groups…
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Experts

The American Action Forum is a 21st century center-right policy institute providing actionable research and analysis to solve America’s most pressing policy challenges.