1470 economists, including Collins, argue the broad economic benefit of immigration

April 12, 2017

As Congress and the Trump Administration prepare to revisit U.S. immigration policy, 1,470 economists—including Susan M. Collins, dean of the Ford School—have signed an open letter to state and federal leaders describing the broad economic value of immigration.

The economists who signed the letter, which was organized and released by New American Economy, include six Nobel Laureates and leading economists who served in the Bush, Clinton, Obama, and Reagan administrations.

“Among us are Republicans and Democrats alike. Some of us favor free markets while others have championed for a larger role for government in the economy,” they write. All, however, recognize “the broad economic benefit that immigrants to this country bring.”

The group, which also includes Ford School faculty members Alan Deardorff, Brian Jacob, Bob Schoeni, Jeff Smith, and Dean Yang, urges Congress “to modernize our immigration system in a way that maximizes the opportunity immigration can bring, and reaffirms continuing the rich history of welcoming immigrants to the United States.” 

"As an international economist and a Jamaican-American immigrant, I have strong professional and personal interests in getting immigration policy right," says Collins, who was pleased to have an opportunity to support the initiative.