Insights from Bush Institute immigration expert Laura Collins
The inauguration is less than a week away, and the incoming administration has promised more than 100 executive orders on the first day. The immigration-related orders are rumored to focus on enforcement. Meanwhile, the House and Senate are debating an enforcement-related bill, the Laken Riley Act, and are negotiating the parameters of a budget reconciliation bill that is likely to contain funding for the border.
What’s missing from all of this, of course, is a pro-growth immigration agenda to ensure America’s future prosperity, vitality, and security. At the Bush Institute, we know this is vital, so our 2025 policy recommendations offer policymakers some ideas to move the U.S. towards a better immigration policy.
Americans deserve a serious conversation about how immigration policy can maximize America’s potential. We are hopeful the solutions we offer can start that conversation.
Figure Of The Month
1 million
The Biden administration has extended Temporary Protected Status for nearly 1 million immigrants from El Salvador, Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela to 2026.
Data Dive
- November 2024 saw the lowest number of border apprehensions since July 2020, with migrants apprehended 46,612 times. The number of migrants who entered with CBP One appointments surpassed the number of Border Patrol apprehensions, according to analysis of Customs and Border Patrol data from the Washington Office on Latin America.
- In 2021, the median wage of an H1-B worker was $108,000, compared to $45,760 for all U.S. workers. Between 2003 and 2021, the median wage for H1-B workers grew by 52%, outpacing the 39% growth in the median wage for all U.S. workers. The gap in wages and wage growth reflects the fact that H1-B holders work in high-skill, high-demand fields that require specialized talent and knowledge.
- The number of migrants crossing the Darien Gap decreased by 42% in 2024 compared to 2023, according to Panama’s National Migration Service. In 2024, 302,203 migrants crossed the Darien, while 520,085 crossed in 2023.
- 1,360 children have not been confirmed as reunited with their parents after forced separation at the border six years ago, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch.
What I’m Reading
- The Economic Innovation Group is out with Exceptional By Design, policy recommendations and myth-busting on high-skilled immigration. There are some solid recommendations, but there is also one fun thing — EIG includes a custom ChatGPT bot to answer your questions about the report.
- Santiago Pérez of the Wall Street Journal reports on Panama’s efforts to reduce migration across the Darien Gap, including through a rigorous deportation system, which includes the use of biometrics to identify and deport individuals with criminal records. The U.S. has helped fund many of these efforts, and Panama will require continued support from the U.S. to maintain its enforcement efforts.
- Republicans will come up against reconciliation rules as they seek to pass an immigration bill later this month. In order to avoid a filibuster, any bill will need to be budgetary in nature, which may limit their ability to pass any significant policy changes on immigration.
- Facing rising costs, cities are restricting housing and shelter eligibility for asylum seekers. But many migrants have yet to receive temporary work permits that would allow them to afford housing independently. This is an unnecessary pain point — a legal immigration system that provides appropriate legal channels for would-be foreign born workers would avoid the pressure on the asylum system and on these cities.
- The Washington Post profiles a village in Mexico dependent on remittances from relatives who immigrated to the United States. Remittances have financed schools, streets, housing, and churches in Mexico, providing essential support for Mexicans.
- Amanda Frost, Professor of Immigration and Citizenship Law at the University of Virginia, examines the constitutionality of a proposal to end birthright citizenship for children born of parents who are neither citizens nor green-card holders. Not only would the policy violate the 14th Amendment, Frost argues: it would also lead to the sharpest rise in undocumented immigrants in U.S. history.
Bush Institute Insights
- This week, I joined CBS Mornings+ to talk about my immigration policy recommendations for the Trump Administration and Congress – including the need for a top-to-bottom overhaul of the U.S. immigration system to ensure our future prosperity, vitality, and security.
- I also recently spoke with Stella M. Chavez at KERA News about the willingness of Texas state leaders to cooperate with the incoming Trump administration to deport migrants and increase border security. These deportation plans hinge on diplomatic relations with other countries, and not all countries will be willing to accept deported migrants.
- Another obstacle to Trump’s deportation plans includes federal laws that require different detention standards for certain populations, such as children and families. I spoke with Reena Diamante at Spectrum News about these obstacles.
