Daily Border Bulletin: IR to Improve Economic Productivity, Economic Effects of Legalization, Border Bridge Stalls US-Mex Plan
Your Daily Border Bulletin is up:
Immigration Reform Would Improve Economic Productivity A report from the Fiscal Policy Institute shows that legalizing undocumented immigrants, while enforcing labor standards and providing for future legal immigration, would increase economic productivity in New York State and the entire US. Immigration reform with legalization would remove barriers to advancement for currently undocumented immigrants, level the playing field for businesses and workers, and better align taxes, social services, and social insurance. As David Dyssegaard Kallick, Director of the Fiscal Policy Institute’s Immigration Research Initiative, said, “Immigration reform, done right, would be good for immigrants, but it would also be good for all Americans.”
The Economic Effects of Granting Legal Status and Citizenship to Undocumented Immigrants This Center for American Progress report analyzes the potential economic boon of granting legal status and citizenship to undocumented immigrants. “Legal status and a road map to citizenship for the unauthorized will bring about significant economic gains in terms of growth, earnings, tax revenues, and jobs—all of which will not occur in the absence of immigration reform or with reform that creates a permanent sub-citizen class of residents.” Also important as immigration reform legislation makes its way through Congress, the study concludes that the sooner legal status is provided, the greater the economic gain for the nation.
Border Bridge Stalls U.S., Mexico Border Plan Proponents of the construction of a new bridge over the Rio Grande see the potential for long-term economic growth through the more efficient transportation of people and goods across the border as well as potential industrial development in an area covered with struggling farms. The new port of entry located near Ciudad Juarez and El Paso is designed to alleviate the long lines for crossing from Ciudad Juarez, a huge manufacturing center. However, since the groundbreaking two years ago, construction on the Mexico side has stalled and US counterparts are waiting for a reciprocal response to their progress.
