llegal immigration is an issue that I’ve touched upon numerous times before, and while I generally support the open borders concept proposed by the likes of Bryan Caplan, the reality is such a future is unlikely in a world that appears to be shutting down rather than opening up.

Nonetheless, there are ways in which the current ineffective systems can be improved, as evidenced by a new study from Carnegie Mellon, which shows that upping the availability of temporary work visas considerably cuts down on the number of illegal migrants, and is usually more effective than more punitive measures.

“Understanding the interactions between immigration enforcement and legal immigration policies is important for contemporary immigration policy debates,” the researchers explain. “In certain contexts, temporary work visa programs may provide more feasible means of providing legal access to the U.S. labor market while still amplifying the deterrent effects of immigration enforcement policies.”

Workforce management

The paper highlights that, since 2005, some 8 million people have been working in the United States without the proper authorization.  There is a clear demand among employers for such services, but barriers exist that prevent the work from being made legal.

The researchers gathered data from the Mexican Migration Project, which is run by Princeton University and the University of Guadalajara, and surveys Mexican households.  They used this data to construct a model to apply the effects from various policy options.  The model produced three different outcomes.

The study discovered that deporting more migrants did indeed reduce the number of migrants traveling without due authorization, and also the time they spent living and working in the United States as such.  The current policy of excluding those who had been deported previously from coming back had little impact on the decisions of other migrants, however.  Indeed, it was only when unauthorized migrants were given a route towards legal status did the number of unauthorized migrations reduce in any meaningful way.

The researchers believe their findings highlight the value migrants place on going about their lives in a legal way.  The research also found that expanding the number of temporary work visas had less of an impact than providing permanent legal status, which the authors believe highlights how expanding temporary work visa numbers could help deter unauthorized travel without significantly increasing overall migrant numbers in the United States.

“Our findings have important implications for structuring future immigration reforms,” the researchers conclude.