Overview

Immigration Research Initiative is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank on immigrant integration, looking at issues of economic, social, and cultural inclusion of immigrants in the United States. IRI is attentive to how immigrants fare in the United States and to how the receiving communities fare as they change, with particular attention to the implications for race, gender, and income equity.

IRI staff have written reports that garnered national attention on the occupational status of immigrants, the long-term integration of refugees, immigrant business ownership, immigrant home ownership, the role of immigrants in economic revitalization of areas with declining populations, and the overall role of immigrants in the economy. IRI staff have also worked on specific issues of current political relevance: the fiscal impacts of allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses or granting tuition equity; the chilling effect of the “public charge” rule, or the number of people likely to benefit from an Excluded Worker Fund.

Immigration Research Initiative is a partner in the State Immigration Project, providing support to state-based think tanks in the State Priorities Partnership. Immigration Research Initiative is also a member of the Economic Analysis Research Network (EARN) and provides support to EARN groups working on state-based immigrant integration issues. Immigration Research Initiative is rooted in New York State and looks at immigration integration across the country.

Immigration Research Initiative is a fiscally sponsored project of NEO Philanthropy.