Welcome Migrants

Attorney General Jeff Sessions called on immigration officials to undertake a harsh crackdown on undocumented migrants. Nonviolent immigrants who enter the country illegally for a second time will no longer be charged with a misdemeanor—they'll be charged with a felony. He also recommended that prosecutors charge "criminal aliens" with document fraud and aggravated identity theft, which carries a two-year minimum sentence. In January, President Donald Trump expanded the definition of which immigrants can be considered "criminal" to include anyone who has committed "a chargeable criminal offense," which could include sneaking across the border.

Nearly 1,500 economists, including six Nobel Laureates, sent a letter to President Donald Trump and top lawmakers on Wednesday urging them to support immigrants for the good of the nation's economy.

"We view the benefits of immigration as myriad:

• Immigration brings entrepreneurs who start new businesses that hire American workers.
• Immigration brings young workers who help offset the large-scale retirement of baby boomers.
• Immigration brings diverse skill sets that keep our workforce flexible, help companies grow, and increase the productivity of American workers.
• Immigrants are far more likely to work in innovative, job-creating fields such as science, technology, engineering, and math that create life-improving products and drive economic growth.

The benefits that immigration brings to society far outweigh their costs..."