On Immigration Policy and the U.S. Economy

Immigrants significantly benefit the U.S. economy by growing the labor force, filling essential jobs in sectors like services, construction, and tech. In this episode, panelists discuss the effects of recent refugee and immigration policy developments on the U.S. economy. Background Reading: This article outlines the critical role immigrants have long played in boosting the U.S. economy and GDP. This article highlights how the second Trump administration has ramped up immigration enforcement, putting pressure on federal, state, and local agencies to meet the president’s deportation goals. Host: Nelson W. Cunningham , Former President, McLarty Associates; Former Senior Advisor for Economic Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Former Special Advisor on Western Hemisphere Affairs; CFR Member Guests: Steven A. Camarota , Director of Research, Center for Immigration Studies Andrea R. Flores , Founder, America’s Promise Pia Orrenius , Vice President and Senior Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox?

You can listen to On Immigration Policy and the U.S. Economy online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

On Immigration Policy and the U.S. Economy is an episode from CFR Events Audio by Council on Foreign Relations.

This episode is 59:36 long.

This episode was published on Jan 11, 2026.

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