Essays on Migration and Immigration Policy

Author(s): Bennett, Neil | Advisor(s): Freedman, Matthew | Abstract: Where an individual decides to locate is a core question throughout many fields in Economics. In development economics, migration allows a household to diversify income with remittances. In urban economics, households will sort into locations that they find more preferable, this is often referred to as `voting with your feet'. In public economics, policies may distort the decision to move by making one place more (or less) difficult to move to. Understanding how these policies shape migration decisions informs how economists can think about re-location. My dissertation contributes to our understanding of migration and immigration policy. In it, I have researched individual and household migration decisions by looking at how migration from Mexico to the United States can be explained by weather shocks, and how a migration within the US might be determined by social insurance programs. I also explore the causes and consequences from establishment-level audits conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.