Publication

This paper provides and applies a method which the authors say can identify the probability of whether individuals listed in sets of US immigration data are legal or illegal immigrants from observed characteristics. The findings show that illegal immigrants are generally less educated, male, and married but with their spouses not present. While illegal immigrants suffer wage penalties, the educated members of this group received greater economic returns. Overall, the paper provides insights into the labor market performance of immigrant populations in the US and allows researchers to make inferences based on their legal status.