SOURCE: Madeline Zavodny, associate professor of economics at Agnes Scott College in metro Atlanta
Newswise — As a historic immigration bill is discussed in Congress, both politicians and the American public should keep in mind the lessons of the last major immigration policy change, the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). While the White House is pushing for its adoption by Memorial Day, leading members of Congress including Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, say it will take more time and could face significant hurdles.
"The Senate bill is similar in some ways to IRCA: it creates a simple way for undocumented immigrants currently in the U.S. to legalize their status, and it beefs up border security," says Madeline Zavodny, associate professor of economics at Agnes Scott College and an expert who has published studies on immigration.
"But in contrast to the 1986 reform, this bill has a credible plan requiring employers to verify workers' legal status," says Zavodny. "Workplace enforcement combined with a fast, accurate way for employers to verify workers' identity and legal status, are key to reducing undocumented immigration.
Zavodny calls for reform to also include tough penalties for employers who violate the law and hire undocumented immigrants off the books. She believes a new immigration policy will discourage continued inflows of illegal aliens only if it cuts off the demand for undocumented workers.
Zavodny can address the following topics:
- Why IRCA failed to stem the tide of illegal aliens into the U.S. - Methods to curtail flow of undocumented immigrants into the U.S. - Whether amnesty is the solution
Zavodny earned a bachelor's degree at Claremont McKenna College and a Ph.D. in economics at MIT. In addition to immigration, her research interests include labor economics, economic demography and fertility behavior. Her publications can be found at http://ecademy.agnesscott.edu/~mzavodny/
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