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IPC Report Confirms There is no Connection Between Immigration and Unemployment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement by Marissa Graciosa, FIRM campaign coordinator
Tuesday, May 19, 2009Contact: Mary Moreno, (202) 339-9316, mmoreno@communitychange.org
WASHINGTON – Today, the Immigration Policy Center released a report that confirmed immigration has no discernable affect on employment levels of native born workers. An analysis of unemployment in cities, counties and states with varying percentages of immigrants by IPC found little evidence of immigration causing higher unemployment rates among native born workers. The following is a statement from Marissa Graciosa, campaign coordinator of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement:
“Nativists have for a long time argued immigrants are displacing native born workers without ever producing supportive evidence. IPC’s report shows the reason is because this is not true. Immigrants go where jobs are abundant and additional labor is needed; not where jobs are scarce and where they’ll have to compete with native workers.
“The report also shows that there is little evidence of a relation between immigrants and unemployment rates among African Americans, further deflating the nativists’ message. In fact, unemployment among African Americans was higher in the 10 states with the lowest share of immigrants than in the 10 states with the most immigrants, according to the report.
“IPC’s research shows the nativists’ messages are dishonest and deliberately divisive. It’s time we move past these falsities and focus on a true solution to our immigration dilemma. We urge Congress to focus on passing just and humane immigration reform that gives the hard working men and women already here an earned path to citizenship and keeps families together.”
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Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) is a coalition of grassroots community organizations nationwide, including statewide immigrant rights coalitions, organizing networks, faith-based groups, and low-income and other networks organized around ethnicity or national origin, working on behalf of comprehensive immigration reform and immigrant rights. FIRM is convened by the Center for Community Change. To join FIRM’s Mobile Action Network and receive updates on actions in your area and action alerts on federal legislation and campaigns, text “justice” or “justicia” to 69866.
For more information on IPC’s report, please visit http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/
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