Document Type

Project

Publication Date

11-23-2025

Publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Publisher Location

Las Vegas (Nev.)

First page number:

1

Last page number:

10

Abstract

This paper examines the economic effects of the United States' immigration policy under President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump. Between 2009 and 2017, the Obama administration introduced programs such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and expanded access to student and work visas. These actions coincided with steady GDP growth averaging about 2 percent per year and a decline in unemployment from 9.9 percent in 2009 to 4.7 percent in 2016. The Trump administration, in office from 2017 to 2021, implemented more restrictive immigration measures, including the 2017 travel ban, reduced refugee admissions, increased H1B visa scrutiny, and the “public charge” rule. During this period, the U.S. experienced record-low unemployment of 3.5 percent before the COVID-19 pandemic and a decrease in net immigration compared to 2016 levels. Both presidents relied on executive authority in response to congressional gridlock on immigration reform. The comparison highlights how different approaches to immigration policy corresponded with broader economic indicators, including labor participation, innovation, and workforce composition.

Controlled Subject

Emigration and immigration; Economics; Obama, Barack; Trump, Donald, 1946-

Disciplines

American Politics | Economics | Immigration Law | Political Economy

File Format

PDF

File Size

235 KB

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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