Immigration 101
Immigration in the United States is complex and ever-evolving. Start here to understand the fundamental aspects of immigration policy, its history, and its impact on both individuals and the country at large. Learn commonly used terms about immigration law and how the U.S. immigration system is designed. Explore layered topics like how and whether immigrants can become citizens, as well as what individual protections look like under the law.
New USCIS Memo May Force More Green Card Applicants to Apply from Abroad, Causing Chaos and Confusion
Update: The text and headline of this post were updated on June 1, 2026, to reflect recent statements made by USCIS. On May 21, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum (PM-602-0199) concerning green card applications filed within the United States. While the Trump administration presents… Read More
New Dashboard Reveals Insights Into USCIS Backlogs and Processing Trends
The U.S. immigration system is broken — it’s a phrase heard often in discussions about the state of immigration in the U.S. Now, a new interactive dashboard from the American Immigration Council allows anyone with an internet connection to better understand our dysfunctional system of legal immigration. The… Read More
Data: Eligible Immigrant Voters Play a Key Role in Elections in Hundreds of Swing Districts
Analysis of 284 congressional districts highlights immigrants’ role in shaping close races April 16, Washington DC — A new analysis from the American Immigration Council finds that millions of immigrant voters who are U.S. citizens are a central part of the electorate across 284 congressional districts where elections will take place… Read More
Supreme Court Expresses Skepticism at Trump’s Effort to Eliminate Birthright Citizenship
Over 150 years ago, with the embers of the Civil War still smoldering, members of Congress gathered to write the 14th Amendment. In its very first clause they wrote a single, straightforward sentence: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens… Read More
More Sunshine Is Needed on Immigration Agencies
Legal filings recently revealed that the federal agency that runs immigration courts has just two attorneys responsible for processing complex public records requests. Two lawyers to handle requests for information about a system that decides the fate of hundreds of thousands of immigrants every year. This revelation should come… Read More
From Imprisonment and Torture in Iran to Endless Detention in the US
The Trump administration has gone to war in Iran. And among the many rationales given is that, by “being beat to hell,” the Iranian regime will be weakened enough for a grassroots revolution to topple it.“When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to… Read More
And The Oscar Goes To … Immigrants
One-fifth of the Oscars awarded Sunday—or five out of the 25 categories—went to immigrants. A sixth, for cinematography, went to the child of an immigrant. Autumn Durald Arkapaw, who has discussed how her Filipino background helped shape her vision, is also the first woman in Academy Awards history to… Read More
ICE’s Warehouse Purchases Herald New Model for Immigration Detention
In July 2025, Congress did something unprecedented: it gave U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) a total of $45 billion dollars to be spent on immigration detention, more than a decade of normal funding in one big pot of cash. Now ICE’s ultimate plan for that funding has become clear… Read More
Mission Creep: AI Surveillance at DHS Crosses Dangerous Line Into Tracking Americans
The artificial intelligence (AI) tools built to guard America’s borders are now extending their policing powers into America’s neighborhoods. What began as AI-powered immigration enforcement confined primarily to our southern border is rapidly becoming something else: a quiet expansion of government surveillance into everyday life. Facial recognition, biometric scanning, and… Read More
Capture of Maduro Proves Trump Has Used Venezuelans as Political Pawns in Immigration Policy
With the capture and prosecution of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, the United States’ convoluted—and often contradictory—policies toward Venezuelan immigrants have been thrown into stark relief. And Venezuelans living in the United States continue to feel the whiplash. Over the past five years, Venezuelans fleeing political persecution or economic chaos may… Read More
All gifts are matched dollar for dollar up to $75,000
No one should face the immigration system alone
