Rice University economist proposes immigration policy overhaul

CONTACT: Franz Brotzen
PHONE: 713-348-6775
E-MAIL: franz.brotzen@rice.edu
 

A plan calling for an orderly process to repatriate the 10 million to 20 million undocumented workers currently in the United States was issued today by Rice University.

The paper, “A Proposal for Immigration Reform,” authored by economists Dagobert Brito, the George A. Peterkin Professor of Political Economy at Rice University, and Hector Olea, president of Gauss Energia, proposes the following:

• Because any effort to deport the 10 million to 20 million undocumented workers estimated to be currently living in the U.S. would incur “unacceptable political and economic costs,” illegal workers should be registered and granted temporary work permits with repatriation dates to return to Mexico spaced over a period of two to six years via a lottery system.
• Once workers are registered and awaiting repatriation, U.S. employers could hire them without penalty.
• Undocumented workers who do not register should be deported.

The authors recommend that the registration of undocumented Mexicans be done jointly with Mexico. Mexico has an extensive network of consular offices in the United States. The task of registering undocumented workers would be much easier if Mexico registered its own nationals. Further, such an agreement could serve as a framework that would allow Mexican workers controlled access to the U.S. labor market. Such an agreement would be in the best interests of both countries, said Brito.

The paper states, “It is very likely that a careful study of the problem will find that the United States labor force requires immigration. Thus, it may well be that a decision will later be made that most of these legal temporary workers should be granted permanent residence or that there should be some selection in who gets permanent residence. Another possibility is that holders of the temporary work permits be allowed to participate in lotteries for permanent residence if they demonstrate proficiency in English and do not have criminal records.”

Brito said, “These immigrants are, for the most part, hard-working and productive people who make a significant economic contribution to the United States. It would be very difficult for the economy of the United States to operate without such immigrants.”

Understanding that this proposal would create hardships, the authors suggest that the United States consider refunding a portion of taxes paid to the individual upon repatriation; allow qualified individuals to enlist in the armed forces and earn citizenship; and create special courts to consider special hardship cases and/or claims of individuals who meet certain qualifications for permanent residence.

Brito, who is also a scholar at Rice University’s James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, is available for media interviews by contacting franz.brotzen@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

To read the full paper, visit the Baker Institute Web site at http://bakerinstitute.org/Pubs/Immigration_Reform-2.pdf.