Increasing immigration to the United States is worthwhile: immigrants boost economic activity, promote innovation, and improve the productivity of American workers. But the system is broken and the immediate costs to welcoming immigrants are not evenly shared. Given these factors, the United States must examine ambitious ideas to reform its immigration system.
On December 7, The Hamilton Project addressed reforms to the immigration system that would make it more equitable and increase economic growth. The event will feature introductory remarks by former U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin and a fireside chat between U.S. Senator Joe Manchin and Glenn Hutchins, co-chair of the Brookings Board of Trustees.
The forum also included two panel discussions featuring Ted Gayer (Niskanen Center), Jennifer Hunt (Rutgers University), Dane Linn (Business Roundtable), Anna Maria Mayda (Georgetown University), Eduardo Porter (Bloomberg Opinion), Kim Rueben (Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center), Tara Watson (The Brookings Institution), and John C. Yang (Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC).
The event coincided with the release of an interactive and two new Hamilton Project proposals that outline reforms to the green card system, visa system, and employment-based immigration as well as offer evidence in support of federal transfers to state and local governments to compensate for the near-term fiscal costs of immigration.
For updates on the event, viewers followed @HamiltonProj on Twitter and joined the conversation using #ImmigrationEconomics to ask questions or emailed [email protected].
1:00 p.m. | Welcome
Robert E. Rubin
Former U.S. Treasury Secretary; Co-Chair Emeritus, Council on Foreign Relations
1:05 p.m. | Fireside chat
The Honorable Joe Manchin
U.S. Senator, State of West Virginia
Glenn H. Hutchins
Co-Chair, Board of Trustees, Brookings Institution; Chairman, North Island and North Island Ventures
1:45 p.m. | Roundtable discussion: How to make the immigration system more equitable
Carlos A. Guevara
Director, Immigration Policy Project, UnidosUS
Jennifer Hunt
Professor of Economics, Rutgers University
Dane Linn
Senior Vice President of Corporate Initiatives, Business Roundtable
John C. Yang
President, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC
Moderator: Ted Gayer
President, Niskanen Center
2:25 p.m. | Roundtable discussion: How to improve immigration’s fiscal benefits
Anna Maria Mayda
Professor of Economics, School of Foreign Service and Department of Economics, Georgetown University
Kim Rueben
Sol Price Fellow, Director, State and Local Finance Initiative, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center
Tara Watson
David M. Rubenstein Fellow, Economic Studies, The Brookings Institution
Moderator: Eduardo Porter
Columnist, Bloomberg Opinion
