Assistant Professor of Economics Brandon Sheridan wrote the column for the Triad Business Journal.
A recent column by Brandon Sheridan, assistant professor of economics, looked at the economic consequences that could stem from changes to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a federal policy commonly known as DACA and impacting the children of undocumented immigrants.
The column comes as Congress is considering its options to reform DACA at the urging of President Donald Trump, who has made immigration reform a key priority for his administration. In the column, Sheridan dispelled some misperceptions about who could benefit from DACA and what DACA approval does and does not do for those approved to receive relief.
"These are individuals who were likely brought to the U.S. by a parent or guardian, and who have lived their lives as upstanding citizens since their arrival," Sheridan writes. "They work hard, go to school, pay taxes, and are not eligible to collect most government benefits. They are, as a group, making what appears to be a positive impact on the national, state and local economy."
Sheridan went on to look at recent studies examining the impact of foreign workers on the North Carolina economy that found "that immigrants either do not have an impact on wages of native workers or have a small, positive effect."
Read the entire column here.