The Trump administration has prioritized reducing immigration by any and all possible means, a pursuit that literally brought the government to a standstill this weekend. While the nation tries to decipher the mixed messages coming from the White House and Congress scrambles to develop a reform agenda that will garner bipartisan support, it's easy to survey our national conversation about immigration and see only anger, dysfunction, and a fundamental disagreement about what it means to be an American.
But at the local level, things look quite different: Cities across the country are consistently, decisively, and increasingly leading with policies of migrant inclusion and integration.
There are over 244 million migrants in the world today, contributing 9.4 percent of global gross domestic product. Since most immigrants live in metropolitan regions, cities big and small recognize their stake in this debate and are spearheading policies to promote social and economic integration of immigrants and refugees. The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, where I serve as director of global cities and immigration, has studied the economic impact of immigration for more than 10 years, offering non-partisan solutions to address today's realities and studying how cities can remain competitive in the global economy. When it comes to immigration, these two issues intersect.
[For more on this story by JULIANA KERR, go to https://psmag.com/social-justi...ities-on-immigration]
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