Brain Gain

Darrell M. West is vice president of the Governance Studies program at the Brookings Institution. He is the author of Divided Politics, Divided Nation: Hyperconflict in the Trump Era. West lives in Washington, DC.

"Darrell West understands that more than any stimulus or bailout, the most important step we can take to strengthen America's long-term economic health is passing comprehensive immigration reform. For America to compete in the 21st century, we need to be able to attract —and keep —the world's best, brightest, and hardest working. Everyone knows our immigration system is broken, but West provides the kind of facts and analysis we need to move the issue forward in Washington." —Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City|"To deal with our fiscal and debt challenges, we need higher, sustained economic growth. A key element in a high growth economic strategy is changing our immigration policies to enhance productivity and innovation. Brain Gain provides a roadmap to do just that." —Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida|"Recommend it highly." —Clive Crook, Financial Times|"Darrell West gets it right when he frames the need for comprehensive immigrationreform as a fundamental element of U.S. competitiveness in the 21st century. Brain Gain raises the questions that need to be asked if we truly want a debate about immigration policy that prioritizes the long-term economic development of our country." —Michael Holston, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Hewlett Packard|"[West] has helped raise the level of national discussion about this issue to a new, more enlightened level. What he describes as 'the complicated reality underneath the Statue of Liberty story line' is one that every American needs to both understand and think deeply about as we make decisions regarding immigration that will impact our shared future for decades to come." —Vartan Gregorian, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York