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What it takes to work in America

Pathways for highly educated immigrants or seasonal workers can be scarce, and for other jobs they're practically nonexistent.
"We are stuck with an inflexible system where we rely on Congress to change the caps and categories for immigration," said Julia Gelatt of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute.
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What immigration actually does to jobs, wages and more

Republican lawmakers want immigration changes in exchange for Ukraine aid. What does economic research say about current policy?
The economic research tells us that immigration does not cause serious wage losses, for example.
Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images

As migration spikes, Germany attempts to crack down on illegal immigration

Nov 6, 2023
The number of people entering Germany without permission hit a high in September. Now, the country is levying tougher legal sentences for trafficking.
Migrants wait a German police check point near the Polish border on Oct. 11.
Jens Schlueter/AFP via Getty Images

Inside the world of immigration scams

From faux English language programs to government impersonators, here's how criminals are targeting immigrants.
Complicated immigration law creates an opportunity for bad actors.
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Immigration reform seen as key to U.S. AI leadership

Sep 15, 2023
If the U.S. fails to attract and retain foreign AI talent, the biggest winner could be Canada.
VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images

The economic cost of waiting at the border in limbo

Aug 3, 2023
Those waiting on an asylum request often can't move forward with a job, housing or education.
Asylum seekers wait at the pedestrian crossing at the U.S.-Mexico border in Tijuana. Some spend weeks, months or longer at or near the border, hoping to be granted asylum.
Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images

The growing business of immigrant surveillance

Aug 2, 2023
Under the Biden administration, there’s been a rapid expansion of the electronic monitoring of immigrant families and individuals waiting for their immigration cases to move through the courts over several years. This investment in surveillance and case management tech is throwing private prison companies a lifeline.
A migrant charges his ankle monitor battery at an immigration facility in Texas. The use of ankle bracelets and GPS monitoring for recent border crossers with pending cases has ballooned under the Biden administration.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Why is Latin America's economy lagging in its pandemic recovery?

Aug 1, 2023
William Maloney, chief economist for Latin America and the Caribbean at the World Bank, says inflation is only part of the puzzle.
The World Bank's main purpose is to provide assistance to countries with high poverty rates and improve economic growth worldwide.
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WhatsApp has streamlined business communication for human smuggling

Aug 1, 2023
Social media has transformed global communication, benefiting those who are in the business of guiding and transporting migrants seeking better lives.
Social media and direct messaging apps, like WhatsApp, have become a major asset in the lucrative business of human smuggling.
AFP via Getty Images

For asylum seekers, access to the U.S. hinges on a phone app that's challenging to use

Jun 13, 2023
Some migrants have spent months logging on everyday, scrambling for an appointment through the CBP One app.
Above, Immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S.-Mexico border on May 13. Each day, tens of thousands of migrants scramble to secure one of the 1,000 daily asylum appointments on the CBP One app.
Mario Tama/Getty Images