How Changes in US Immigration Impacts Its Economy
Immigration is a constant hot topic in the US. With Trump’s administration shifting perceptions towards immigration, we speak to Peter Antone who discusses the impact this shift has had on corporations and potentially, the impact it will have on the US economy.
What are the new rulings made by the White House on the Immigration and Nationality Act? What could this mean to Immigration Law going forward?
The Immigration and Nationality Act is the same under the current administration as under the previous administrations. What has changed is the overall attitude towards immigration and the increasingly stringent interpretation of regulations. Examples include setting lower limits on asylum applications, putting restrictions on immigrants who are impoverished based on the theory that they will likely become public charges, as well as scrutinizing legal immigration or skilled workers on the basis that doing so will benefit US workers.
Immigration law has not been kind to corporate America, in the sense that it creates incentives for US entities and corporations to establish branches overseas and hire foreign talent overseas.
What are the benefits and associated negatives with these changes in US immigration?
While many may perceive the stringent interpretation of regulations as beneficial to US workers by limiting abuse of our immigration system, historically, most immigrants have demonstrated high work ethic and in the long run have generated great economic activity and more employment opportunities for US workers. For example, many Fortune 500 companies are started by immigrants or descendants of immigrants. Additionally, many immigrants, documented and undocumented, are the backbone of the agriculture, construction, and food industries, and therefore are critical to the US economy.
What is the importance of Immigration Law to corporations and how could they be impacted by this shift?
Since American corporations have to compete on the global stage, they need foreign talent that may not always be easy to find in the US, as well as to train those individuals for work overseas. There is substantial evidence that foreign talent working in the US creates substantial US employment through innovation and growth. Limiting legal immigration will force corporate America to keep its talented foreigners overseas, boosting foreign innovation and expansion rather than our own.
While the legal processes surrounding immigration to the US have not changed fundamentally under the current administration, the attitude towards immigration has shifted, with a tendency to cast many immigrants in a negative light.
How would you advise corporations [and others] to prepare for the changes made in US immigration law?
Immigration law has not been kind to corporate America, in the sense that it creates incentives for US entities and corporations to establish branches overseas and hire foreign talent overseas. Due to the pervasiveness of remote access technologies, many US entities employ foreign skilled labor overseas, depriving the US of tax base and consumer spending that would have occurred had the employees been located in the US.
What is now the legal process surrounding immigration in the USA and how attitudes have shifted?
While the legal processes surrounding immigration to the US have not changed fundamentally under the current administration, the attitude towards immigration has shifted, with a tendency to cast many immigrants in a negative light. Immigration has become needlessly complicated and expensive, discouraging businesses from bringing talent here that would otherwise help us to compete in the global economy. This may negatively impact the US work force and have adverse effects on the economy.
Contact Information:
Immigration Law Offices of Antone, Casagrande & Adwers, P.C.
31555 W. 14 Mile Road, Suite 100
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
Phone: 248.406.4100
Fax: 248.406.4101
