Asylum Seekers and New Immigrants: Economic Projections in the US and by Region

A significant increase in the number of asylum seekers and new immigrant families have arrived in United States since 2022. To better understand the long-term prospects for these newly arriving families, Immigration Research Initiative created a model to project their economic outcomes, tax contributions, and likely jobs they may get when they first arrive as well as how that may shift over time.

Below are links to reports on the different regions of New York State.

“This research offers a glimpse into the economic impact of the current wave of asylum-seeking families arriving in the United States. That’s true in New York, and it’s true around the country. Newly arriving immigrants will grow the economy and our tax base. People may take some time and need some aid in getting settled, but we ought to afford them grace and patience as they build upon the great legacy of immigrant contributions to our communities and our country as a whole,” said David Dyssegaard Kallick, Director, Immigration Research Initiative.

“For generations, immigrants moving to the United States have been vital in helping our economies and communities succeed. The current wave of immigrants arriving throughout the state will help carry this tradition into the future. This research shows how immigrants’ potential for growth and prosperity extends to everyone in the communities where they settle,” said Anthony Capote, Senior Policy Analyst, Immigration Research Initiative.

“This is a humanitarian crisis. There are immediate, emergency response needs that need to be taken care of and we’re doing it the best way we can with our limited resources. If we do this right, and stabilize these families, it’s a benefit to us in the long run. The state demographer will tell you we need people. These are people. These are people coming with families that can replace an aging workforce. The quicker we stabilize families, the faster they can contribute,” said Kathy White, Executive Director, Colorado Fiscal Institute.

“For as long as Texas has been Texas, hard working people have united—both old and recent arrivals—in pursuit of a better, more prosperous life. This data shows the centuries old reality continues to be true today. Rather than pitting recent and long-time Americans against each other, policymakers should recognize the humanity of new immigrants and asylum seekers as well as the benefit they bring to our economy.” said Jaime Puente, Director of Economic Opportunity of Every Texan.

 

National Report:

IRI Report on the United States, with State-by-State Data

 

State-Level Reports:

Colorado Report, IRI with Colorado Fiscal Institute

Massachusetts Report, IRI with Massachusetts Budget Project

Maine Report, from the Maine Center for Economic Policy

Michigan Report, IRI with Michigan League for Public Policy

Oklahoma Report, IRI with Oklahoma Policy Institute

Texas Report, IRI with Every Texan

California blog post,California Budget & Policy Center

 

IRI Reports on Regions of New York State:

Long Island

New York City

Lower Hudson Valley

Upstate New York

 

Selected presentations and press coverage:

New York City

NY1 TV, 7-minute interview of David Dyssegaard Kallick with Errol Louis

1010 WINS radio interview and report

Long Island

Newsday, “Report: Asylum-Seekers Pumping Millions of Dollars into Long Island Economy.”

Lower Hudson Valley

LoHud.com, op-ed: “New York and the Hudson Valley Should Embrace Immigrants. It’s Smart for Our Economy,” David Dyssegaard Kallick and Carola Otero Bracco, NY Immigration Coalition and Neighbors Link.

Syracuse

Syracuse Post-Standard, Op-ed: “Invest in Immigrants for a Better,” New York David D. Kallick and Jessica Maxwell.

Rochester

WABC TV 13: Report on the meeting organized by our partners at the Ellis Island Initiative

WROC TV Report and interview with David Dyssegaard Kallick

IRI Powerpoint presentation from Rochester meeting

Albany

WAMC Northeast Public Radio on the meeting organized by our partners at the Ellis Island Initiative

IRI Powerpoint presentation from Albany meeting

Colorado

Colorado Newsline, Op-ed, “Today’s Immigration Challenges Lead to Colorado’s Future Vitality,” David Dyssegaard Kallick with Kathy White, Colorado Fiscal Institute.

Massachusetts

Boston Globe, Are Immigrants a Burden or a Benefit?

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Examiner, “Border Hypocricy and What’s Missing from the Immigration Debate.”

National

Webinar press conference with Anthony Capote of IRI, Kathy White of Colorado Fiscal Institute, and Jaime Puente of Every Texan, moderated by Mario Carillo of America’s Voice.

Radio Bilingüe, interview with Anthony Capote (in Spanish).