Immigration
Research | Commentary
What Others Are Saying | Video
Research:
Mission Possible: Homeland Security Should Focus on Current Mandates, Not New Missions - June 27, 2007 - James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
Rather than pile more responsibilities on DHS by granting amnesty to millions of illegal aliens, Congress should let the department fulfill its current missions, such as gaining control of the southern border, using its current authorities.
Illegal Immigration Alternatives: How States Should Respond - June 27, 2007 - James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
Withdrawing benefits for illegal immigrants is a strategy far superior to the Senate bill's focus on amnesty first.
The Senate's Second Secret Immigration Bill - June 19, 2007 - The Heritage Foundation
For weeks, Americans were told that there are only two options for dealing with the nation's illegal immigration problem: stay with the status quo or accept a "grand bargain"-a tenuous behind-closed-doors deal, first made public by The Heritage Foundation, which contained nearly 800 pages of flawed policies.
A Bureaucratic Nightmare: The Senate's Temporary Guest Worker Program - June 26, 2007 - James Sherk
The Senate's temporary guest worker program would force prospective employers to navigate a complex bureaucracy to prove that they need guest workers and dramatically reduce the labor market flexibility of any company using the program.
White House Immigration Report Ducks Heritage Foundation Criticisms - June 26, 2007 - William W. Beach
In the face of tough challenges to the President and the Senate's approach to immigration, the CEA asserts what everyone knows and fails to engage legitimate criticisms of their approach.
White House Report Hides the Real Costs of Amnesty and Low Skill Immigration - June 26, 2007 - Robert E. Rector
The White House's confused responses to Heritage Foundation research on the fiscal impact of low skill immigrants serve only to obscure the major fiscal impact of the Senate's pending immigration bill.
The Senate Amnesty Bill: A Muddled Legal Morass - June 26, 2007 - Kris W. Kobach, D.Phil., J.D.
S. 1639 would also create a legal morass that entangles immigration courts, as well as newly created administrative courts, for years to come.
Undeniably Amnesty: The Cornerstone of the Senate's Immigration Proposal - June 25, 2007 - Matthew Spalding, Ph.D.
As with the 1986 immigration bill, the granting of legal status is "amnesty" even if it is conditional and not automatic or does not necessarily end in citizenship.
Immigration Amendments Undermine REAL ID and Workplace Enforcement - June 20, 2007 - James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
Two amendments to the Senate's immigration bill would undermine efforts to strengthen the security and authenticity of state-issued identity documents and to enforce immigration laws in the workplace.
The Senate Immigration Bill: A National Security Nightmare - June 19, 2007 - Kris W. Kobach, D.Phil., J.D.
Rather than bolster national security, the Senate legislation would provide new opportunities and advantages for alien terrorists currently operating on American soil.
Setting the Record Straight: Illegal Immigrants Will Receive Welfare Under Senate Bill - June 18, 2007 - Robert Rector
Over time nearly all amnesty recipients would be offered legal permanent residence and access to more than 60 federal means-tested welfare programs.
The Way Forward – June 8, 2007 – The Heritage Foundation
A New Strategy for Real Immigration Reform - June 12, 2007 - Matthew Spalding, Ph.D. and James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
Rather than reviving the failed and unworkable approach of "comprehensive" immigration reform, Congress should pursue an incremental strategy based on enforcing existing laws, along with a few modest, common-sense legislative initiatives.
"Merit-Based" Immigration Under S.1348: Bringing In the High-Tech Waitresses - June 7, 2007 - Robert E. Rector
Contrary to its proponents' claims, the Senate immigration bill will not replace "family chain migration" with an influx of high-tech workers.
The Senate's Immigration Reform Package - May 19, 2007 - The Heritage Foundation
For the sake of open deliberation and public education, The Heritage Foundation is making this legislation, in draft form, publicly available to encourage widespread debate and discussion.
Amnesty Will Cost U.S. Taxpayers at Least $2.6 Trillion - June 6, 2007 - Robert E. Rector
The Senate is currently considering a massive immigration reform bill, the "Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007" (S. 1348). This bill would grant amnesty to nearly all illegal immigrants currently in the United States...
Immigration Reform: The Need for Upholding Our National Language - June 5, 2007 - Matthew Spalding, Ph.D. and Israel Ortega
An amendment being offered by Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) will give every Senator the opportunity to affirm the importance of declaring, preserving, and enhancing the role of the English language in the United States...
What to Do With the Unlawfully Present Population? A Fair and Practical Strategy - June 5, 2007 - James Jay Carafano, Ph.D. and Matthew Spalding, Ph.D.
Rather than grant amnesty, Congress should use law enforcement and market forces to end America's addiction to undocumented labor and create legitimate opportunities for immigrants...
Surety Bonds: A Better Solution Than Burdensome Workplace Immigration Enforcement - June 4, 2007 - James Sherk and William W. Beach
To ensure that companies hire only legal immigrants, Congress should require them to post surety bonds guaranteeing that their employees are legally allowed to work in the United States...
Senate Immigration Reform No Fix for Border Security - June 4, 2007 - James Jay Carafano
To ensure that companies hire only legal immigrants, Congress should require them to post surety bonds guaranteeing that their employees are legally allowed to work in the United States...
The Senate's Workplace Immigration Enforcement Proposal: Too Much Federal Meddling - June 1, 2007 - Wes Dyck, William W. Beach and James Sherk
The Administration should actively reject entreaties from fellow G-8 nations to agree to growth-sapping controls on energy use and instead continue its successful model in favor of economic development...
Senate Immigration Reform Bill Neglects Immigration Services - May 31, 2007 - James Jay Carafano
The Senate's immigration proposal would immediately grant probationary legal status to individuals currently living unlawfully in the United States—12 to 15 million people, by some estimates. Processing these individuals would be the responsibility of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of the Department of Homeland Security...
1986 Redux: Proposed Senate Immigration Reform Repeats Past Failure - May 30, 2007 - James Jay Carafano
The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 legalized individuals who had resided unlawfully in the United States continuously for five years by granting temporary resident status adjustable to permanent residency. That law failed to curb the influx of illegal immigration...
Senate Immigration Bill Marred by Prevailing Wage Provision - May 29, 2007 - James Sherk
The Senate should remove from the Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (S. 1348) a provision that would require employers to pay temporary guest workers the "prevailing competitive wage."
Rewarding Illegal Aliens: Senate Bill Undermines The Rule of Law - May 23, 2007 - Kris W. Kobach, D.Phil., J.D., and Matthew Spalding, Ph.D.
The Senate's "Z" visa proposal would undermine the rule of law by granting massive benefits to those who have willfully violated U.S. laws, while denying those benefits to those who have played by the rules and sometimes even to U.S. citizens.
The Fiscal Cost of Low-Skill Immigrants to the U.S. Taxpayer - May 22, 2007 - Robert E. Rector and Christine Kim
Current immigration practices, both legal and illegal, operate like a system of trans-national welfare outreach bringing millions of fiscally dependent individuals into the U.S. This policy needs to be changed. U.S. immigration policy should encourage high-skill immigration and strictly limit low-skill immigration. In general, government policy should limit immigration to those who will be net fiscal contributors, avoiding those who will increase poverty and impose new costs on overburdened U.S. taxpayers.
A La Chart: High Cost of Low-Skill Immigrants - May 22, 2007
The value of government benefits provided to low-skill immigrants far exceeds the taxes they pay, no matter how old the head of household. On average, each of these 4.5 million households receives nearly three dollars in taxpayer-funded services for every dollar it pays in taxes.
Where We Stand: Essential Requirements for Immigration Reform - May 10, 2007 - Edwin Meese III and Matthew Spalding, Ph.D.
In crafting immigration reform legislation, given the stakes involved, Congress should oppose and, if necessary, the President should veto any reforms or reform packages that do not comport with America's core principles, are not in the best interests of the United States, and are inconsistent with the traditions and compassionate practices of America's ongoing experiment in ordered liberty.
Heritage at the Border: Ideas That Make a Difference - March 14, 2007 - James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
The author's visit to the border region provides insight into border security and immigration reform
Better, Faster, Cheaper Border Security Requires Better Immigration Services - February 28, 2007 - James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., and Matt A. Mayer
Congress needs to establish a better model to pay for immigration services, to fund the transformation of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services capabilities, and to enable the USCIS to work more effectively as part of an interagency team. The longer Congress waits, the longer it will take to deliver the border and immigration security that America needs and deserves.
Sponsorship: The Key to a Temporary Worker Program - February 27, 2007 - Tim Kane, Ph.D.
The core labor-market engine powering the guest worker immigration system should be based on free-market principles. Sponsorship is the only option that will operate smoothly, fairly, and flexibly to serve U.S. policy goals and the U.S. economy by harnessing the power of the market to finance, manage, and enforce a temporary worker program.
State of the Union 2007: A Renewed Call for Immigration Reform - January 24, 2007 - Matthew Spalding, Ph.D., and James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
While the President's proposal for comprehensive reform contains several positive elements, it still contains a fundamental flaw: amnesty
More research
Commentary:
Grand Amnesty - June 27, 2007 - Matthew Spalding
Amnesty, make no mistake about it, is the cornerstone of the Senate's immigration bill. Despite its many pages and provisions, the legislation guarantees one thing ...
Senate Rules - June 27, 2007 - Brian Darling
Usually, life in the U.S. Senate pokes along at a snail's pace. All the members insist they're working hard, but in a body that usually ...
Senate Math: It's fuzzy - June 26, 2007 - Ernest Istook
The Senate's latest immigration proposal is another sad sign that Washington needs some remedial math classes.
Nightmare on Amnesty Street: Senate horror flick - June 21, 2007 - Brian Darling
Like a villain in a cheesy horror film, the Kennedy Amnesty Bill is back from the dead.
Look to Milton: Open borders and the welfare state - June 21, 2007 - Robert E. Rector
A decade ago, Nobel prize-winning economist Milton Friedman admonished the Wall Street Journal for its idée fixe on open-border immigration policy.
Spare Us $4.4. Billion - June 19, 2007 - James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
Backers of the Senate's "comprehensive" immigration-reform plan are trying to revive the moribund measure by talking tough and spending big. It's not enough.
Killer Amnesty: Rejecting Hispanic-hostility accusations - June 13, 2007 - James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., and Matthew Spalding, Ph.D.
Did the Kennedy-Bush immigration bill fail because its opponents played on the racial prejudices that some Americans harbor against immigrants as Linda Chavez and others--including
Setting the Record - and the Research - Straight: Heritage Responds (again) to the Wall Street Journal - June 12, 2007 - Robert E. Rector
On June 8, the Wall Street Journal published "Immigration Heritage," a second editorial attacking Heritage Foundation research into the fiscal costs of households headed by immigrants without a high school degree (i.e., low-skill immigrants), which currently comprise one third of all immigrant households.
American Support For Amnesty Fades - June 9, 2007 - Michael Franc
The role the Senate plays in our legislative process was best described by George Washington. "We pour legislation into the senatorial saucer," he told a skeptical Thomas Jefferson, "to cool it."
Now We Can Get to Work - June 9, 2007 - James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
The Senate abandoned a wrongheaded effort to enact comprehensive immigration reform on Thursday night. The bill's defeat represented more than stopping bad legislation. It actually put the Congress two thirds of the way towards doing what needs to be done to solve the problem.
Do-Nothing? You Know-Nothing - June 8, 2007 - Robert B. Bluey
Senator John McCain wants you to believe that “doing nothing” on immigration reform amounts to “silent amnesty.” It’s his way of making the case for a bill that offers little in the way of new security measures while granting amnesty to 12 million illegal aliens.
Amnesty Plus - June 8, 2007 - Robert E. Rector
The Senate is currently debating S. 1348, a so-called comprehensive immigration bill. The centerpiece of this legislation is the offer of amnesty, access to welfare, and ultimately citizenship to at least 12 million illegal aliens currently in the U.S.
Invasive and Ineffective - June 8, 2007 - Edwin Meese, III
Proponents of the latest Senate effort to change the nation's immigration laws emphasize border security. Indeed, the very title of the bill, the "Secure Borders Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007," says so.
The Immigration Giveaway - June 8, 2007 - Rebecca Hagelin
Nobody ever said that being a parent is easy. But do politicians have to make it harder?
Bill from Wonderland: The employment-verification system won't work - June 7, 2007 - Wes Dyck
The amnesty provisions of the Senate immigration-reform bill have torched a firestorm of controversy. Overlooked amid all the sturm und drang is the chilling fact that the proposal's worksite-enforcement provisions would tremendously expand federal intrusion into the labor market.
Courting Illegality - June 6, 2007 - Ernest Istook
The Kennedy-Bush-McCain immigration bill will worsen the ever-growing disrespect for our laws.
To be successful, here's what immigration bill must do - May 31, 2007 - Edwin Feulner
It's difficult to write about the Senate's proposed immigration reform bill, because it's such a moving target.
The Politics of Amnesty - May 29, 2007 - Robert Bluey
The amnesty deal negotiated by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and the White House has Karl Rove's fingerprints all over it. Plain and simple, it's bad...
Bait-and-Switch Immigration Enforcement - May 29, 2007 - James Carafano
The Senate's draft omnibus bill on immigration reform and border security
Ripping the Lid off a Secret Immigration Deal - May 25, 2007 - Rebecca Hagelin
I've never been more proud to work at The Heritage Foundation than I was this past Monday...
Rector Responds to the Wall Street Journal - May 24, 2007 - Robert Rector
Your May 24 editorial attacks my research on the fiscal costs of low skill immigration as perpetuating a "myth"...
Myth-busting the White House on Immigration - May 21, 2007 - Robert Bluey
A White House "Myth/Fact" explanation of the new immigration bill prepetuated more myths than it punctured. Here are 10 myths the White House wants us...
Kennedy Dupes Republicans on Immigration Bill - May 21, 2007 - Robert Bluey
The world's greatest deliberative body, the U.S. Senate, is expected to move with blazing speed this week to vote on a massive immigration reform bill ...
The Devil Is in the Details - Matthew Spalding
Are we to disregard the rule of law?
GOP Sellout: A senseless giveaway on immigration - May 18, 2007 - Brian Darling
It may be harsh, but it's the most accurate and succinct way to sum up how conservatives feel right now about President Bush and Senate ...
An Amnesty by Any Other Name... - May 25, 2006 - Ed Meese
What Others Are Saying:
Laura Ingraham Interviews Tony Snow - Thursday, June 14, 2006
RX for Breakdown: How Immigration Bill Overloads Bureaucracy & Endangers Security - Kris W. Kobach - May 27, 2007 - New York Post
Cal Thomas: Amnesty by another name - May 22, 2007 - Sacbee.com
How Not to Make an American - Deroy Murdock - May 25, 2007 - National Review Online
George Will: With immigration reform, leave bad enough alone - May 24, 2007 - Washington Post Writer's Group
Right Revolt - Kathryn Lopez - May 18, 2007 - National Review Online
The Immigration Debacle - David Limbaugh - May 22, 2007 - Townhall.com
Robbing Rector - Kate O'Beirne - May 30, 2007- National Review Online
Senate Immigration Bill is a Sellout, Not Reform - Phyllis Schlafly - May 26, 2007 - Townhall.com
Heritage In Focus (Video):
Ed Meese responds to the proposed immigration reform legislation.
James Carafano talks about controlling the American borders.
Illegal Immigration: Is a National Database the Solution?
Brian Darling discusses how the Senate debate will go.
Robert Rector discusses his paper on the Cost of Low-Skilled Immigrants
Christine Kim discusses The Immigration Debate.
