Implications For Immigration Policy Research Articles

The Ciudad Juárez Fire: Zemiology’s Expansion of a Criminological Analysis

The migrant detention centre fire in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico on March 27, 2023 led to 40 dead and 27 more injured. All those effected were migrants. An analysis of this tragedy from a zemiological perspective demonstrates its usefulness in deepening and expanding our understanding of its implications. This is illustrated via three points of analysis. First, zemiology explores several important harms not captured from a criminological standpoint. A key harm in this case is cultural harm. Second, zemiology holds responsible those not subjected to scrutiny by criminology’s state-centred investigation. This shines light on the United States and Mexican governments’ culpability for the fire. Finally, zemiology expands the definition of the victim. Survivors of the fire, as well as the broader migrant community, receive acknowledgement for their suffering. Finally, the implications for immigration policy are touched upon.

Food Insecurity Pipeline: How Latinx Immigration-Impacted Students in Higher Education Navigate the Food Insecurity Cycle

Systemic inequities increase the risk of material hardships, including food insecurity, among immigrant households. Informed by 33 qualitative interviews with Latina/o/x undergraduate students who are undocumented or U.S. citizens with undocumented parents, we examine their experiences of food insecurity in their day-to-day lives. We find a food insecurity pipeline as students’ experiences of food insecurity begin early in childhood in their homes and continue in their adulthood on their college campuses. Food insecurity has implications for their well-being, and they rely on their strengths and networks to survive food insecurity. The study has implications for immigration policy, practice, and higher education institutions serving this vulnerable population.

Do Asian Immigrants Have Better Mental Health? An Examination of Arrival Cohort and Gender in Australia

This study examines how arrival cohort and duration of time in Australia affect the long-term mental health trajectories of Asian immigrants relative to native-born individuals in Australia. We also examine how these relationships differ by gender. Using nationally representative panel data from The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey for 2002–2018, we find limited evidence that Asian immigrants experience declining mental health over time in Australia. Rather, we find that arrival cohort is an important predictor of long-term mental health, specifically for Asian immigrant women and recent cohorts of immigrants. By tracking mental health trajectories over time in Australia, we find variation between Asian immigrants and native-born individuals and by gender. We find that the majority of Asian immigrants in Australia report increases in their mental health over time in Australia. We also find within- and between-gender differences in mental health trajectories. Our study illustrates the importance of longitudinal data and reference categories for understanding immigrants’ health in their host countries. The findings have implications for immigration policy and its role in shaping immigrant composition and immigrants’ mental health over time in the host country.

Only libertarianism can provide a robust justification for open borders

This paper argues that libertarianism—and only libertarianism—can vindicate immigration's status as a human right whose protection is morally required in nearly all circumstances. Competing political theories such as liberal egalitarianism fail to rule out significant immigration restrictions in a range of realistic conditions. We begin by outlining the core tenets of libertarianism and their implications for immigration policy. Next, we explain why arguments that appeal to alternative principles are unable to provide robust justification for open borders. We conclude by considering whether our argument vindicates libertarianism or undermines open borders.

Further Reflections on Tolerance and Its Difficulty

Revisits the account of tolerance offered in the author's 1996 paper, The Difficulty of Tolerance, adding further material on (1) the character of individuals' interest in what their society is like, (2) the range of individuals to whom tolerance in this sense is owed, and (3) possible implications for immigration policy.

Attachment, Acculturative Stress, Social Supports, Separation and Marital Distress in Mexican and Central American Adult Immigrants Separated from Primary Caregivers as Children

Latinas/os are reported to be the fastest growing ethnic minority in the United States, with a large percentage being newly arrived immigrants. Previous research has found that many migrate in phases, with the father leaving the family behind or both parents migrating and leaving children in the care of family members. Separations from parental figures have been found to lead to psychosocial, psychological, and educational problems, acculturative stress, lack of social support, attachment problems, poverty, discrimination, unemployment, and marital distress. The purpose of this study was to inquire if immigrant variables (attachment, acculturative stress, and social supports) in Mexican and Central American immigrants who were separated from their primary caregivers as children predict marital distress. A total of 92 participants completed either the online questionnaire via Survey Monkey or paper surveys in person. A quantitative methodology, correlational multiple regression model was used in order to investigate the research questions and hypotheses. The theoretical framework that guided this study was John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory. The results from the current study showed a statistically significant finding that the attachment style and acculturative stress in Mexican and Central American immigrants predicted marital distress. Findings from this study can promote a deeper understanding to marriage counselors regarding attachment, social support, acculturative stress, and separation factors that can affect immigrant couples. It may also have implications for immigration policy and promote the establishment of reunification programs in communities where immigrant populations reside.

Immigration and Equal Ownership of the Earth

AbstractA number of philosophers argue that the earth's resources belong to everyone equally. Suppose this is true. Does this entail that people have a right to migrate across borders? This article considers two models of egalitarian ownership and assesses their implications for immigration policy. The first is Equal Division, under which each person is granted an equal share of the value of the earth's natural resources. The second is Common Ownership, under which every person has the right to use the earth's natural resources, but not the right to exclude others from them. While these models and their associated ideas have a long history within Western political thought, this article will examine them as they are presented by two sets of contemporary philosophers: Hillel Steiner, who defends Equal Division, and Michael Blake and Mathias Risse, who defend Common Ownership. In the case of each model, the article does three things. First, it considers the implications of the model for immigration policy. Second, it defends the model against objections from those defending immigration restrictions. Third, it contends that the model does not go far enough in its opposition to immigration restrictions. More specifically, the article argues that both Equal Division and Common Ownership, as presented by their proponents, fail to respect the claims of people whose interest in the land is not primarily economic. If the earth belongs to everyone equally, then people should not be prevented from pursuing important migratory goals such as family reunification, career development and education. The article concludes with a proposal for combining Equal Division with Common Ownership. Under this combined model, people would be free to migrate across international borders.

Exposure to Violence and Conflict: Exploring Predictors of Unauthorized Migration to the USA

Recent shifts in the demographic composition of unauthorized immigration in the USA, along with an increase in asylum applications and concerns over human rights violations, have prompted new efforts to evaluate the effects of violence and conflict on current migration patterns. Prominent research in migration studies tends to focus on forced migratory movements or the migration of unaccompanied children, exposing a critical gap on the impact of exposure to violence among asylum seekers and migrants. Guided by a framework of threat-based decision-making, this article presents findings from a secondary data analysis using aggregate macro-level indicators by country (n = 157) for homicide rate, level of violent conflict, gross national income, and income inequality to predict apprehension (i.e., arrest) rates recorded by the US Department of Homeland Security, as a proxy for unauthorized migration. Findings indicate that the homicide rate and level of conflict in the country of origin are significant predictors of unauthorized migration, when accounting for distance and economic factors. Implications for immigration policy and practices related to immigration detention are discussed, as well as the need for macro-level interventions. Future research on individual or survey data may provide further insight into the impact of violence on a micro level.

Anti‐Immigrant Prejudice in Rising East Asia: A Stereotype Content and Integrated Threat Analysis

Immigration is a global phenomenon, yet comparatively few psychological investigations of anti‐immigrant prejudice have been conducted in East Asia, a region of high economic growth that is set to become a leading destination for international migrants. Over two studies, we examined Singaporean attitudes towards four prominent immigrant groups: Chinese, Filipino, South Asian, and Western immigrants. Each immigrant group was found to be associated with a unique attitudinal profile. Chinese immigrants, who are culturally the most closely related to most Singaporeans, were viewed the most negatively in terms of prejudice, stereotyped warmth, and realistic and symbolic threat. Westerners were viewed the most positively despite higher ratings of perceived competence, possibly due to Western cultural influence, whereas South Asians and Filipinos were viewed as being relatively unthreatening, possibly due to their occupation of undesirable social roles. Perceived threat—both realistic and symbolic—proved to be stronger predictors of anti‐immigrant prejudice than stereotypes. Implications for immigration policy in the region are discussed.

Immigrants' Decision to Stay in the Canary Islands: A Latent Class Approach

León C. J. and Hernández Alemán A. Immigrants’ decision to stay in the Canary Islands: a latent class approach, Regional Studies. This paper presents evidence on the socioeconomic and psychological factors that explain international immigrants' decisions to stay in the Canary Islands. The data are modelled using a latent class binary approach that allows two types of migrant to be considered according to their level of probability of staying at the destination. The results show that psychological factors (negative emotions, expectations, social integration) are more important for those migrants with a low probability of staying. In addition, the circumstances at the destination (Spanish language, years of stay, number of migrations, remittances) are significant only for those migrants with a high probability of staying. These results have implications for immigration policies in both the origin and host regions.

Immigration and Equal Ownership of the Earth

This article considers two models for egalitarian ownership of the earth’s resources to assess their implications regarding immigratin policy. The first is equal division, under which each person would be granted an equal share of the value of the earth’s natural resources. The second is collective ownership, under which every person would have the right to use the earth’s natural resources, but not the right to exclude others from them. While these models and their associated ideas have a long history within western political thought, this article will examine them as they are presented by two sets of contemporary theorists: Hillel Steiner, who defends equal division, and Michael Blake and Mathias Risse, who defend common ownership. In the case, the article does three things. First, it sets out the model in question, along with its implications for immigration policy. Second, it defends each model against objections from those defending immigration restrictions. Third, it contends that the models do not go far enough in their opposition to immigration restrictions. More specifically, the article argues that both the equal division and the common ownership models, as presented by their proponents, fail to respect the claims of people whose interest in the land is not primarily economic. If the land belongs to everyone equally, then people should not be prevented from accessing it in order to pursue migratory goals such as family reunification, career development and education. The article concludes with a proposal for combining equal division with common ownership. Under this combined model, people would be free to migrate as they please.

Immigrant Specificity and the Relationship between Trade and Immigration: Theory and Evidence

Studies routinely document that immigrant employment concentrates in non‐traded goods sectors and that many immigrants have low inter‐sectoral mobility. We consider these observed characteristics of immigrant employment with regard to the question of how immigration affects a nation's pattern of production and trade. We model an economy producing three goods; one is non‐traded. Domestic labor and capital are domestically mobile but internationally immobile. Allowing that some new immigrants will become specific to the non‐traded goods sector, the model indicates that the effects of immigration on output and trade depend importantly on the sectoral pattern of employment of both new and existing immigrants. Empirical investigation in a panel data set of OECD countries supports the model's prediction that immigration raises the output of non‐traded goods. Consistent with the model, we also find that immigration and trade are complements. Given its empirical support, the model's implications for immigration policy are then discussed.

Characteristics of Immigrant Entrepreneurs and Their Involvement in International New Ventures

AbstractWe studied 561 young firms in Australia to understand the involvement of immigrant entrepreneurs (IEs) in international new ventures (INVs). We found that IEs are overrepresented in INVs and have many characteristics known to facilitate INV success, including more founders, university degrees, international connections, and technical capability. Our study has implications for immigration policy and economic policy and the efficient use of a nation's human capital. This research challenges a necessity‐based stereotype of immigrant entrepreneurs by identifying areas in which immigrant entrepreneurs have natural competitive advantages over native entrepreneurs (NEs). This research makes a contribution to the theory of immigrant entrepreneurship by identifying the significant role of immigrant entrepreneurs in INVs and the suitability of immigrant entrepreneurs for the development of INVs. We inform diverse streams of research in transnational and immigrant entrepreneurship with broader strategic work on the creation of INVs. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.This research was partly funded by an Australian Academy of Social Sciences research grant. A previous version of this paper was presented at Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference (BCERC), 2011, Syracuse.

Characteristics of Immigrant Entrepreneurs and Their Involvement in International New Ventures

We studied 561 young firms in Australia to understand the involvement of immigrant entrepreneurs (IEs) in international new ventures (INVs). We found that IEs are over represented in INVs and have many characteristics known to facilitate INV success, including more founders, university degrees, international connections, and technical capability. Our study has implications for immigration policy and economic policy and the efficient use of a nation's human capital. This research challenges a necessity-based stereotype of immigrant entrepreneurs by identifying areas in which immigrant entrepreneurs have natural competitive advantages over native entrepreneurs (NEs). This research makes a contribution to the theory of immigrant entrepreneurship by identifying the significant role of immigrant entrepreneurs in INVs and the suitability of immigrant entrepreneurs for the development of INVs. We inform diverse streams of research in transnational and immigrant entrepreneurship with broader strategic work on the creation of INVs.

Immigration and the politics of social cohesion

According to the social cohesion argument for restrictive immigration policies, immigration causes ethnic diversity and ethnic diversity undermines social cohesion and thereby the sort of solidarity necessary to uphold the welfare state. Therefore, immigration must be (severely) restricted. I argue that this argument in fact encompasses a variety of different arguments that have importantly different implications for immigration policy, and relies on empirical and normative premises that are insufficiently motivated.

BOOK REVIEWS

Books reviewed in this issue. Growing unequal? Income distribution and poverty in OECD countries. La gestion des ressources humaines en France. Histoire critique. By Henri PINAUD. Libertés et droits fondamentaux des travailleurs en Chine. By Aiqing ZHENG (with prefaces by Mireille Delmas‐Marty and Jean‐Maurice Verdier). The accelerating decline in America's high‐skilled workforce: Implications for immigration policy. By Jacob Funk KIRKEGAARD A future of good jobs? America's challenge in the global economy. By Timothy J. BARTIK and Susan N. HOUSEMAN (eds).

Arab immigrants in the United States: how and why do returns to education vary by country of origin?

Using U.S. census data, the authors analyze the earnings of Arab males who completed their schooling before migrating to the United States. There is little return to precollege education, but education beyond 12 years is rewarded highly. Although Arabs share a common ethnicity, they are not a homogeneous group. Returns to education vary significantly by source-country, e.g., high for immigrants from Kuwait, low for Yemeni immigrants. Returns are related to economic development in the source-country and to pupil/teacher ratios. These findings have implications for immigration policy and point to the hazards of generalizing on the basis of ethnicity.

The O-Ring Sector and the Foolproof Sector: An Explanation for Cross-Country Income Differences

Differences in worker skill cause modest differences in wages within a country, but are associated with massive differences in productivity across countries (Hanushek and Kimko, 2000). I build upon Kremer’s (1993) O-ring theory of production to explain this stylized fact. I posit that there are two kinds of jobs: O-ring jobs where strategic complementarities to skill are large, and a diminishing-returns Foolproof sector, where two mediocre workers provide the same effective labor as one excellent worker. In equilibrium, an econometrician would only see small returns to skill within a country. In a world where countries vary only slightly in the average skill of workers, these assumptions are sufficient to generate massive differences in cross-country income inequality while generating only small amounts of intra-country income inequality. Implications for immigration policy, dual labor market theory, and border regions are discussed.

The accelerating decline in America's high-skilled workforce: implications for immigration policy

Introduction 1. High-skilled Workers Other Countries Running Faster, While US Standing Increasingly Still? 2. The US High-Skilled Immigration System As It Exists Today 3. The Necessary Welfare Trade-off US Software Workers and Why Quotas Are Particularly Bad at Labor Market Matching 4. Concluding Remarks What This Book Implies For Necessary Reforms of US High-Skilled Immigration Regulation.

The political economy of social exclusion, with implications for immigration policy

Minorities such as ethnic and immigration groups have often been subject to exclusion through labor market discrimination, residential and employment segregation policies, business ownership regulations, restrictions on political participation, access to public services, and more. This paper studies the dynamics of minority exclusion. From the viewpoint of the dominant majority, the exclusion decision balances the motive to redistribute income in its favor and the interest in avoiding potential civic unrest or even violent confrontation with the minority. The analysis also has implications for immigration policies, suggesting that they have to take this group dynamics into account.