How the Immigration System Works
The U.S. immigration system operates under an intricate set of rules that outline who can enter, reside in, and become a citizen of the United States. It includes various pathways like family-based immigration, employment visas, and refugee and asylum status, each with its own criteria and application processes. Several federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department, oversee the system and enforce immigration laws and policies, handle applications, and manage border control. Learn more by exploring the resources below.
USCIS Updates Key CSPA Interpretation to Protect Some Immigrant Youth, But Backlogs Continue to Cause Hardships
On August 24, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a new update to its policy manual clarifying a previous policy change aimed at expanding green card eligibility under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) for children who lost eligibility, or “aged out,” due to the years-long visa… Read More
At Dueling Border Hearings, New House Majority Pushes Partisan Narrative Over Facts
In January, Republicans took control of the House of Representatives. After a lengthy fight over the Speaker of the House resolved, the new majority wasted no time in holding multiple hearings on the current situation at the southern border. Unfortunately, the hearings, held in the Judiciary and the Oversight… Read More
AILA and the American Immigration Council Respond to Supreme Court Oral Arguments in U.S. v. Texas
In response to the Supreme Court of the United States hearing oral arguments in the case, U.S. v. Texas -- a dispute over the Biden Administration’s authority to set immigration policy, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the American Immigration Council (AIC) have issued the following statement. Read More
Who Enforces Immigration Policy Anyway?
The lack of a major overhaul in the United States’ immigration system for roughly thirty years has created an ecosystem where states have attempted to insert their authority over immigration, especially when it comes to enforcement. Texas has made headlines with its tougher approach and outsized role in shaping… Read More
New Report Reveals Why USCIS Is Plagued by Enormous Backlogs and Wait Times
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) operates under a flawed funding model. This virtually guarantees that the agency will always be under-funded and under-staffed. As a result, USCIS has been plagued for years by enormous backlogs of applications for immigration benefits. The people applying for immigration benefits must endure… Read More
U.S. Residents Sue USCIS and NARA for Delays in U.S. Citizenship Applications
Thirteen people waiting to become U.S. citizens filed a lawsuit challenging U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ unreasonable delays and failure to process U.S. naturalization applications filed in 2020. Read More
The Biden Administration Needs to Change Course on Green Cards Before It’s Too Late
The Biden administration failed to issue many of the immigrant visas—more commonly known as green cards—that were allotted last year for immigrants who have been sponsored by a U.S. employer or family member. Statistics released by the State Department indicate that 66,781 visas for employment-based immigrants and… Read More
Canada’s New Immigration Targets Show How the United States Is Falling Behind
The Canadian government released its 2022-2024 immigration targets earlier this week. Should it reach these targets, the number of new immigrants entering Canada would reach levels not seen in more than a century. This challenges the claim that the United States has the most generous immigration policies in… Read More
Biden’s ‘Secret’ Flights of Migrants Debunked as a Routine Part of the US Immigration System
Some media outlets have reached a fever pitch over what they have deemed President Biden’s “secret flights of migrants.” They claim that the Biden administration is covertly flying migrants into communities around the country. But these flights are a regular, decades-old practice used for transporting migrants. The Government Often Transports… Read More
The Border Isn’t Open. Just 1 in 3 People at the Border Last Year Could Access the Asylum Process.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published new data last week showing that over the past 12 months, the Border Patrol has carried out nearly 1.7 million apprehensions at the southern border—a record. Opponents of President Biden quickly jumped on the news to renew claims that the border is… Read More
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