Immigration Impact

The United States has come far from being just a colony. Without the help of immigrants continually working to build industries, make businesses, and increase our population, the United States would not be the world power it is today. There is no denying that immigrants impact the United States, specifically, the economy. These impacts have the ability to change the nation's GDP, fiscal, and the job market. For example, the U.S. Center of Immigration Studies have estimated that immigrant’s increase the nation’s annual GDP by 1.6 trillion dollars (Camarota 1). More often today, lawmakers are thinking of new ways to recover the economy with education reforms, spending reforms, and new fiscal policies but many neglect how immigration reform can …show more content…
While this may be true to some extent but the reality is that immigrants have little to no effect on these matters. Studies from CATO Institute have found that immigrants either decreases American born wages by 2% or increase them by 2% depending on time (Nowrasteh 1). These statistics show that immigrant’s impact wages balances out and only has a measly impact on the economy. Alex Nowrasteh, an Immigration Policy Analyst, indicated that unemployment rates for immigrants and native born people respond similarly to each other. This means that when unemployment goes up for natives, unemployment goes up for immigrants, meaning immigrants cannot be blamed for higher unemployment rates. Data from the District of Columbia during 2000-2007 showed that “an additional 100 foreign-born workers in STEM fields with advanced degrees from US universities is associated with an additional 262 jobs among US natives.” (Zavodny 4). This data shows that immigrants can increase job opportunities through when new immigrants come into the country there needs to be more worker to supply the increase in population. Not only that, immigrant workers are more flexible and willing to work jobs normal native workers aren't willing to take (Papademetriou 1), like chimney sweeping meaning Lawmakers must take in account the benefits that immigrants bring, so solving the issue by taking away …show more content…
This is why Region Based Visas would improve the economy. This would work by having cities determine the amount of work visas they are willing to offer. Also, immigrants that qualify will be able to work at any firm in the city rather than be restricted to a specific firm (Fuller. 1). Right now, cities like Baltimore and Detroit are suffering from population loss which is affecting their buyers’ market. Regional Visas would allow cities that are in need of immigrants to set a high amount of visas in order to repopulate (Ozimek 1), while cities like New York which has a high population density could set their limits low. This would also solve the issue of skilled immigrant workers not being payed as high as native workers. With this new policy, since workers aren't bind to one business, there will be a bidding for some skilled workers meaning in order to attract highly skilled immigrants, businesses will have to pay higher wages (Fuller 1). Furthermore, immigrants will be more willing to take an effort to become legal or apply for visas because of the benefits. Considering, the current effects of immigration on the United States economy, legislators must acknowledge that immigrants contribute to the overall market increasing the nation's GDP along with the creation of innovations. Additionally, legislators should focus less on how to stop illegal immigration but rather