We use data from the New Immigrant Survey (NIS) for data on immigrants who were legalized based on family ties or small-scale legalization programs, and the Legalized Population Survey (LPS) for data on immigrants legalized by the IRCA. Estimates suggest that the increase in wage after...

Border enforcement of immigration laws raises the costs of illegal immigration, while interior enforcement also lowers its benefits. Used together, border and interior enforcement therefore reduce the net benefits of illegal immigration and should lower the probability that an individual will...