Economic Impact
Immigrants are essential to the U.S. economy, filling roles from high-skilled tech sectors to agricultural labor and driving economic growth. They also contribute to the tax base and consumer spending. We champion reform that will maximize this effect and create a more diverse and competitive workforce.
What Are the Benefits of the J-1 Visa?
Over the past year, sweeping orders have banned many non-immigrant visa holders from entering the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic gave many former Trump administration officials the opportunity to restrict immigration based on fears surrounding the spread of the coronavirus and U.S. unemployment and immigration. The extended… Read More
Comment on DHS Proposed Rule to Drastically Expand the Definition and Collection of Biometrics
The American Immigration Council, the Immigration Defense Clinic at Colorado Law, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association, submitted a comment in opposition to the Department of Homeland Security proposed rule on the "Collection and Use of Biometrics by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services." Read More
How Trump’s COVID-19 Immigration Ban Has Impacted Family-Based Immigration
The Trump administration is successfully using the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext to alter the U.S. system of legal immigration. New government data makes clear that these changes will significantly increase employment-based immigration at the expense of people in the family categories—and without any involvement by Congress. On March 20,… Read More
Letter Requesting 60-Day Comment Period on Proposed Rule Expanding Collection of Biometrics
This new rule will increase the total number of people who are required to submit biometric data from 3.9 million currently to 6.07 million—an increase of more than 60%. Read More
Statement for the House Committee on Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship Hearing on “Oversight of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services”
The American Immigration Council submitted a written statement to the House Committee on Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship for a July 29, 2020 hearing on “Oversight of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.” The statement shares the Council’s analysis of the true causes of USCIS’s $1.2 billion budget shortfall, including… Read More
Executive Order to Exclude Millions From the Census Gets It Wrong; All People Must Be Counted
President Trump issued an executive order to prevent undocumented immigrants from being counted as part of the 2020 Census. This policy would unlawfully exclude 10.7 million undocumented immigrants, despite the clear requirement of the 14th Amendment to count “the whole number of persons in each state.” Read More
Congress Calls to Decrease ICE Detention as COVID-19 Continues to Spread
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security introduced their proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2021 (beginning October 1, 2020) this week. The budget would have significant implications for U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities—current hotspots of the coronavirus pandemic. In a reversal of previous budget requests, this… Read More
An Expanded and More Permanent Ban on Immigration Threatens Our Values and Compromises Our Future
The Trump administration announced a more permanent order that suspends many categories of immigration to the United States and an expanded ban that halts many legal employment-based immigration categories for those outside of the United States. Read More
USCIS Claims It’s Strapped for Cash, Requests Emergency Funding From Congress
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) says it’s running out of money, fast. In a letter to Congress, USCIS declared that the coronavirus pandemic had caused unavoidable budget shortfalls. The agency—normally funded by fees from visa petitions and immigration benefit applications—says it will run out of… Read More
USCIS’ Proposed Changes to the Affidavit of Support are Unnecessary and Unlawful
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is currently proposing significant changes to the Affidavit of Support (Form I-864), and related forms I-864A and I-864EZ. One of the major changes would be to require that U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents sponsoring a foreign spouse or relative for a green… Read More
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Make a direct impact on the lives of immigrants.
