In line with his “America First” foreign policy, President Trump recently declared that the United States will limit the number of refugees permitted into the United States. Research from Global Detroit and the Ford School, however, shows how such restrictions will also hinder Michigan economy.
In an opinion column for The Detroit News titled "Don't Close the Door on Refugees," Steve Tobocman (MPP/JD '97) highlights the key data findings of the reserach. Tobocman, who is the executive director of Global Detroit, writes that refugees were responsible for between “$229.6 million and $295.3 million in new spending, along with between 1,798 and 2,311 new jobs, in 2016 alone."
Curbing the number of refugees would remove a crucial source of economic growth and check “A stabilizing force in Southland, Sterling Heights, Warren, and beyond.”
Released last fall, "The Economic Impact of Refugees in Southeast Michigan" was compiled in conjuction with Ford School Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Policy Engagement Elisabeth Gerber and Jacqueline Mullen (MPP '18).