Executive Summary

The Solution for Undocumented Children through Careers, Employment, Education, and Defending our Nation (SUCCEED) Act, introduced by Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and cosponsored by Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) offers conditional permanent residence to eligible young immigrants who came to the United States under the age of 16, provided they choose to serve in the military, enroll in higher education, or work in the United States. After ten years as a conditional permanent resident, SUCCEED participants are eligible for legal permanent residence status provided they maintain a clean criminal record, do not become dependent on public assistance, and pay owed back taxes to the U.S. government, among other requirements.

The analysis that follows is the first analysis of the effects of the SUCCEED Act. It includes a state-by-state breakdown of where SUCCEED-eligible participants reside, the economic consequences of passing the SUCCEED Act into law, and the estimated economic and fiscal cost of deporting SUCCEED-eligible immigrants from the country.

Overall, our findings suggest that 1.8 million immigrants would be immediately eligible to apply for legal status under the SUCCEED Act, if it were passed. Up to 2.6 million could eventually be eligible in total. We also find that:

  • The SUCCEED Act would increase GDP by $81 billion over 10 years
  • The SUCCEED Act would increase net federal revenue by $22 billion over 10 years
  • The SUCCEED Act would create 117,000 new jobs
  • Under the SUCCEED Act, eligible immigrants will contribute $738 billion to gross domestic product (GDP) over a decade and $204 billion in net revenue to federal, state, and local governments

Immigration legislation is complex, and requires consideration of several issues. Among the most relevant should be an analysis of the contributions of potential participants and the economic and fiscal impact of legalizing this population of individuals. We hope this analysis will inform that discussion.

The full report is available here.

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