United States of America

Anna worked seven days a week as a nanny for the family of a Fortune 500 company executive. She lived with them in their 5th Avenue apartment in Midtown Manhattan. Her day began at 6 when the children woke up and didn't end until 10 at night when she put them to bed and cleaned the kitchen.

She cooked meals, did laundry and tended to the children's needs. She slept on the floor in between their beds. She did not have a single day off in 15 months.

Leaders from across the evangelical community came together today to release open letters to President Obama and to the House and Senate leadership, seeking action on immigration policy. On a press call this morning, leaders discussed the implications of the 2012 election and their plans for harnessing the growing consensus in the evangelical community around reform.

Imagine having to make a choice between your personal safety, or keeping your family together. Too many immigrant women, forced into the shadows of society, have had to make that choice. I have had to make that choice. 

I endured abuse by my partner, while worrying constantly about my then three-year-old son. But, because of my immigration status, I feared what would happen if I contacted the authorities. When I finally did make the decision to call, my fears turned out to be all too real.

This report analyzes the impact of naturalization on immigrants and assesses a number of studies that have examined the earnings gap between naturalized and noncitizen immigrants — a divide that widened over the economic crisis. Even after accounting for the fact that naturalized immigrants have higher levels of education, better language skills and more work experience in the United States than noncitizens, the MPI study concludes there is some evidence of a wage premium of at least 5 percent resulting from citizenship.