Solutions
AZEIR "Ellis Island Border Centers" - Create immigration centers on U.S. territory on the border whose purpose is to process foreign citizens looking for work in the U.S. [PDF]
Congressional Immigration Solutions Conference: - Recorded on May 1, 2012, this C-SPAN video captures a discussion of alternative federal immigration solutions from a law enforcement, humanitarian and academic perspective. Presenters are Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, Rev. Robin Hoover, Ph.D. and founder of Humane Borders, and Dr. Douglas Massey, professor at Princeton University and co-director of the Mexican Migration Project. [Watch video]
9 Out Of 10 Immigration Statements Are Wrong
Using a simple analysis of two media "fact check" web sites that examined the truthfulness of public statements by political leaders and elected officials (Politifact and AZ Fact Check), AZEIR found that each source, determined immigration-related statements wrong 9 out of 10 times. This stunning finding raises serious questions about the factual basis of the immigration debate and the motivations of those who make or repeat false statements. Unquestionably, the truth must be the sole basis for discussing the issue and finding immigration solutions. We must hold politicians accountable for misstatements of fact. Anything less adds to the problem and makes sensible solutions less likely.
Tampa Bay Times "PolitiFact" (3/14/2012)
| Pants On Fire | FALSE |
Mostly False |
Half True |
Mostly True |
TRUE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
19 |
56 |
33 |
41 |
31 |
23 |
9.4% |
27.6% |
16.3% |
20.25 |
15.3% |
11.3% |
Wrong 88.7% |
11.3% |
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When people testify under oath in court, they swear to “tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” There is no instance where a witness is sworn to “Tell the truth, mostly the truth, or half of the truth.” Yet based on the independent analyses of these news organizations, 88.7% of the statements examined by PolitiFact and 91.8% of those checked by AZ Fact Check fail to meet the standard for truth used in our judicial system.
Arizona Republic "Fact Check" (3/14/2012)
FALSE |
Mostly False |
Somewhat False Somewhat True |
Mostly True |
TRUE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
29 |
4 |
8 |
4 |
4 |
59.2% |
8.2% |
16.3% |
8.2% |
8.2% |
Wrong 91.8% |
8.2% |
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What Works, What Doesn't?
While no one questions our country's immigration system is broken, that there are people here who should not be here and who have violated civil or criminal statutes to get here; that there are unscrupulous employers who hire immigrant labor for various reasons, or that Congress has failed to step up and address the problem, there are plenty of questions as to the true impacts immigrants have on our country and economy. Since 2007, AZEIR has been involved in studying this issue with the goal of understanding it from the perspective of businesses, getting a clear picture of what exactly is happening at the local, state and national level. Our goal is to make available to the business community and the public well researched empirical studies that provide an accurate assessment of how immigration is affecting our country, our economy and our people.
Bad Information Makes for bad public policy
Arizona-centric Research
Because Arizona has been at the forefront of the public, legislative and legal debate on immigration, more studies have been done that look at the effects our laws have had on Arizona. Below are a few of the latest studies currently available on the issue. Please note these are not studies commissioned for or by AZEIR. These are third-party organizations and any questions about their findings should be addressed to the specific organizations and authors.
- Stop the Conference: The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Conference Cancellations Due to Arizona’s S.B. 1070, November 2010
- A Rising Tide or a Shrinking Pie: The Economic Impact of Legalization Versus Deportation in Arizona, March 2011
- Lessons from the 2007 Legal Arizona Workers Act, March, 2011
- Safer than Ever: A View from the U.S.–Mexico Border: Assessing the Past, Present, and Future, August, 2011
National Research Studies
Other city, county and state jurisdictions have introduced immigration-related laws and many business and government-related groups have conducted studies into whether these laws are effective or not, measuring them on many levels, including reductions in jobs, crime, housing, etc. Please note these are not studies commissioned for or by AZEIR. These are third-party organizations and any questions about their findings should be addressed to the specific organizations and author.
- Your State Can’t Afford It: The Fiscal Impact of States’ Anti-Immigrant Legislation, July, 2011
- 2011 Immigration-Related Laws and Resolutions in the States (January-June), August, 2011
- The Economic Integration of Immigrants in the United States: Long- and Short-Term Perspectives, July, 2011
- Labor Standards Enforcement and Low-Wage Immigrants: Creating an Effective Enforcement System, July, 2011
- A Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Analysis of the Impact of the Oklahoma Taxpayer and CItizen Protection Act of 2007, March, 2008
AZEIR PowerPoint Presentations
Below are a few of the PowerPoint presentations we have put together in the past that help explain the facts of the immigration issue. Please feel free to share them with others.
 Immigration Facts - Click to View |
 Avoiding Arizona's Mistakes |
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Have A Suggestion?
We are always looking for studies that use standard and verifiable research methodologies to examine government policies for effectiveness, efficiency and reducing the cost of government. If you are aware of any such research reports or books on immigration you would like us to know about and possibly highlight here on our web site, please send an email to info@azeir.org and put the words "Research Suggestion" as the subject of the message Even if it isn't based on standard research methods, we're more than will to take a look and add it to our research collection.
Last updated: November 26, 2012