P A S S AG E O N E (1) L i fe can be tou g h f o r im m i g ran t s in A m e r ica. A s a R o m an i an b ank c l e r k in A tla n ta pu t s it, to f ind a g ood j ob “ y ou ha v e to be l i k e a w o l f in the f or e st — a b le to s m e l l o u t the be s t m eat . ” A nd if y ou ca n ’t f ind w or k , don’t ex p e c t t h e t axp a yer t o ba i l y o u o u t . U n l i k e in s o m e European c oun t r i es, it i s ex t re m e l y ha r d f o r an ab l e - bodied i mm i g rant to l i v e o f f t he s t a te. A l aw p a ss e d i n 1996 e xp l i c i t ly ba r s m ost im m i g ran t s, e v en t h ose w i t h le g al s t a tus, from re c e i v ing a l m ost any fe d e r a l b e ne f i t s. (2) T h at is one r eas o n w hy A m e r ica a b so r b s i m m i g ran t s b e t ter t han m any oth e r ri ch co u n t ri e s, a cc o rd i ng to a n ew s tudy by t he U n i v e r s ity o f C a l i fo r ni a . T he r e s ear c he r s sou g ht to m easu r e the e f f e c t o f i m m i g ra t ion o n the n a ti v e - born in 20 r ich c ount r i e s, ta k ing i n to a c co u nt d i f fe r enc e s in s k i l ls be tw een i m m i g ran t s a nd n a t i v es, i m pe r fe c t l ab o r m a r k e t s a n d the s i z e o f t h e w e l f a re s t a te i n e a ch c o un t r y . (3) T h e i r r es u lts o f f er a m m uni t ion for fa n s of m ore o p en bor d e r s. I n 19 out of 20 coun t r i e s , the a ut h ors cal c ul a ted th a t sh u t t ing the doors e n t ir e ly to fo r e i g n w or k e r s w ould m a k e the na t i v e - born w orse o f f. N e v er m ind w hat i t w ou l d do to the i mm i g ran t s the m sel v es, w ho bene f it f a r m ore th a n an y one e l se f rom be i ng a l lo we d to c r o s s bo r de r s t o f ind w or k . (4) T he s tudy a l so su g g ests that m ost cou n t r ies c o uld h and l e m ore i m m i g ra t ion t h an they cu r r en t ly a l lo w . I n A m e r ica, a on e - pe r ce n t a g e point in c r e a se in the p r o por t ion of i m m i g ran t s in t h e popul at ion m ade the na t i v e - born 0. 0 5% be t t e r o f f. T he oppo s ite w as tr u e in so m e coun t r i es w ith g en e rous o r i l l - desi g ned we lf a re s t a t e s, ho w e v e r . A one - point r i se i n i m m i g ra t i o n m ade the na t i v e - born s l i g htly w orse o f f in A us t r ia, B e l g iu m , G e r m an y , Luxe m bou r g , the Ne th e r la nds, S we den and S wi t z e r l a nd. I n B e l g iu m , i m m i g ran t s w ho lo s e jobs c an re c e i v e a l m ost t w o - thir d s of th e ir m ost r ec e nt w a g e in s t a te b e n e f i ts, w h ich m ust m a k e the hunt f or a n ew j ob le s s u r g en t . (5) N o n e of th e se e f fe c ts w as l a r g e, b u t t he s tudy u n de r m ines the c l a im that i mm i g ran t s s t e al jobs f r om na t i v es or drag do w n th e ir w a g es. Many i m m i g ran t s t a k e j obs th a t A m e r ic a ns do n ot w an t , the s tudy finds. T h i s “s m ooth s ” t he l a bor m a r k et and u l ti m a t e l y c r ea t es m ore j obs f or loc a ls. Na ti v e - o w ned g rocery s t o res d o be t t e r bus i n ess b eca u se t he r e a r e i m m i g ran t s to p i ck the f r uit they se l l. I ndian co m puter sc i en t i s ts h e l p A m e r i c an so f t w a r e f ir m s e xp a nd. A pre v ious s tudy f o und th a t beca u se i m m i g ran t s t y pic al ly ea r n le s s than l oc a ls wit h s i m ilar s k i l ls, they boo s t c o rpo r a t e pr o f i ts, p ro m pting c o m pan i es to g row and h ire m ore l oc a l s .