EIG Media Contact: Reuben Francis | [email protected]
Washington, D.C. – The Economic Innovation Group (EIG) commends the passage of a bipartisan resolution by the U.S. Conference of Mayors endorsing an innovative proposal for revitalizing local economies through high-skilled immigration.
Introduced by Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and co-sponsored by Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, Mesa Mayor John Giles, Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati, South Bend Mayor James Mueller, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones, and Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, the resolution urges Congress to establish a Heartland Visa program, which would provide a new immigration pathway to attract highly skilled workers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to communities that are often excluded by current U.S. immigration policy.
“America’s economic success is closely tied to the contributions of skilled immigrants,” said EIG President and CEO John Lettieri. “We applaud the U.S. Conference of Mayors for embracing a forward-thinking approach to boosting high-skilled immigration and ensuring its benefits are broadly felt in communities throughout the nation.”
“Mayors understand the critical role of high-skilled immigrants in boosting the prosperity and economic resilience of our cities,” said Mayor Bibb. “We urge Congress to enact a Heartland Visa program to spur innovation, revitalization, and job creation in cities like Cleveland and many others throughout the Heartland.”
The United States has benefited tremendously from skilled immigrants. A quarter of all new businesses each year are immigrant-founded, and 44 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children. Despite these benefits, the geographic distribution of economic gains from immigration remains uneven, with most skilled immigrants concentrated in a few metropolitan areas. This disparity underscores the need for more balanced immigration policies to boost local economies in the rest of the country.
A new EIG national voter survey found robust support for expanding high-skilled immigration from voters across the political spectrum and in every presidential swing state.
To learn more about how high-skilled immigration fuels American dynamism, visit eig.org/immigration-is-innovation.
About the Economic Innovation Group (EIG)
The Economic Innovation Group (EIG) is a bipartisan public policy organization dedicated to forging a more dynamic and inclusive American economy. Headquartered in Washington, DC, EIG produces nationally-recognized research and works with policymakers to develop ideas that empower workers, entrepreneurs, and communities.
