TPPF: New Immigration Paper Includes Interviews with Public Officials, Academics, Community Leaders, Migrants and Their Families to Inform Policy Debate

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Right on Immigration initiative published the paper Perfect Storm: The Pull and Push Factors Driving the Central American Migration Crisis.

“The ability to achieve the ‘American Dream’ and earn dollars to send home to loved ones are substantial push factors in Central America,” said David Agren, the author of the paper. “This study, through interviews with public officials, academics, community leaders, and migrants and their families, aims to inform the debate on immigration. A proper understanding of the factors that motivate migration will assist Central American, Mexican, and U.S. policymakers in stemming the illegal flow of immigrants into the United States.”

Key Points:

• Despite increased immigration law enforcement both in Mexico and along the U.S. border, the push factors that drive Central Americans to leave their countries continue to mount.
• Rampant poverty, crime, and political instability in the region, combined with structural weaknesses in the U.S. asylum system, created a perfect storm.
• The United States is viewed as a safe haven, where workers can earn more in a day than many Central Americans make in a month.

To read Perfect Storm: The Pull and Push Factors Driving the Central American Migration Crisis in full, please visit:

https://www.texaspolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Agren-Central-American-Migration.pdf