RAND Research Topic: Migration

Enforcing Immigration Law at the State and Local Levels: A Public Policy Dilemma

Apr 28, 2010

Encouraging state and local law enforcement agencies to help enforce federal immigration laws could help identify out-of-status immigrants eligible for deportation, but these efforts come with concerns about the potential for racial profiling, strained community relations, and improper resource allocation.

United States and Mexico: Ties That Bind, Issues That Divide

Apr 11, 2012

This binational reference for U.S. and Mexican policymakers presents the interrelated issues of Mexican immigration to the United States and Mexico's economic and social development. Differences in economic growth, wages, and the employment situation between two countries are critical determinants of immigration, and migration of labor out of Mexico, in addition to economic and social policies, affects Mexico's development.

Examining the Potential Impact of Alabama's Immigration Law

Feb 27, 2012

Alabama's anti-illegal immigration law is regarded as the strictest in the United States and raises several enforcement challenges for police, schools, and other public service providers such as hospitals. RAND research on the costs and benefits of immigration may prove instructive.

Midnight in Munich: All European Union Countries Face Declining and Aging Populations

Jan 13, 2012

Recent snapshots of fertility indicators across Europe look less depressing than they did a decade ago. Still, the fertility rate remains below the replacement rate in all 27 EU countries.

Dusk, Dawn, and High Noon: Demographic Trends Forecast Next Phases for China, India, and the United States

Jan 13, 2012

Much has been written about the world's population having passed 7 billion, but little attention has been paid to the implications of recent demographic changes for the world's nations. This RAND Review cover story compares the demographic futures and related economic prospects facing China, India, and the United States.

How Will Migration Impact UK Transport and Congestion?

Jan 10, 2012

The UK Migration Advisory Committee asked RAND Europe to examine how migration is likely to impact transport networks and congestion. The resulting research is one of the first studies using UK data to provide an empirical evidence base about migrants' travel behavior and impacts.

CLASP Addresses Challenges Latinos Face at Home and in United States

Dec 19, 2011

The Center for Latin American Social Policy conducts research throughout Latin America and the Latin American population in the United States in the areas of aging, social determinants and consequences of health, saving for retirement, social security coverage, labor market dynamics, and migration.

Number of Mexican Immigrants Returning Home Dropped During Latest Recession

Jul 13, 2011

Fewer Mexican immigrants returned home from the United States during 2008 and 2009 than in the two years prior to the start of the recession, a finding that contradicts the notion that the economic downturn has hastened return migration to Mexico.

Four Approaches to Estimating the Total Flow of Illegal Border Crossings Between Ports of Entry

Mar 11, 2011

Fundamental to the question of border control effectiveness is the proportion of illegal crossings that are prevented through deterrence or apprehension, but estimating these proportions requires knowing the total flow. Four new approaches warrant further attention for purposes of supporting reliable, valid, and timely measures of illicit cross-border flow.

Immigration Behavior and the Labor Market Decisions of Middle-Aged and Elderly Mexicans

Dec 2, 2010

To understand what policies and incentives influence the decisionmaking patterns of middle-aged and elderly Mexicans, RAND researchers used panel data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study to compare the retirement behavior of non-migrant Mexicans with those who had migration spells to the United States and later returned to Mexico.

Effects of Legalization on the Economic Status of Immigrants

Dec 2, 2010

Not enough is known about the economic effects of changing the legal status of undocumented immigrants in the United States. This project estimates the causal effects of legalization to inform future U.S. immigration reform proposals.

Enforcement of Federal Immigration Laws at the State and Local Levels

Apr 29, 2010

Encouraging state and local law enforcement agencies to help enforce federal immigration laws could help identify out-of-status immigrants eligible for deportation, but may also have unintended consequences.

The Impact of U.S. Military Drawdown in Iraq on Displaced and Other Vulnerable Populations

Jan 13, 2010

As the U.S. prepares to eventually end its military involvement in Iraq, it must recognize that this drawdown will affect vulnerable and at-risk populations, some of whom have depended on U.S. security forces over the last six years. This has significant policy implications for Iraq and the Middle East more broadly.

RAND Gulf States to Conduct Further Study of New Orleans Residents Displaced by Hurricane Katrina

Jul 16, 2009

Researchers from the RAND Corporation have launched an in-depth study of people who lived in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to gain a better understanding of how they were affected by the hurricane and its aftermath.

Selection, Wear, and Tear: The Health of Hispanics and Hispanic Immigrants in the United States

Jun 22, 2009

Discusses issues surrounding the health of Hispanics in general, and of Hispanic immigrants in particular.

Care to Care? Assessing the challenges of integrating migrant women into Europe's labour force

Jun 10, 2009

This study aims to increase the understanding of the labour market outcomes of migrant women in the EU given European economic and social agendas for growth, equality and social cohesion, and to examine the impact of policies on these outcomes.

Analyzing the Change in the Flow and Composition of U.S.-Mexico Return Migrants

Apr 30, 2009

To inform the current debate on migrant selection, RAND analyzed the composition and migration flows of return migrants from the United States to Mexico from 1993 to 2004, based on data from the EMIF (Encuesta sobre Migración en la Frontera Norte de México).

Migrant women in the European labour force: Current situation and future prospects

Oct 2, 2008

Examines migrant women's participation in the European labor force.

Previously Deported Immigrants More Likely to Be Rearrested After Leaving Jail

Sep 8, 2008

Deportable immigrants who previously have been expelled from the United States are more likely to be rearrested on suspicion of committing a crime after they are released from jail than other deportable immigrants without the prior history of expulsion.