Immigration 101

Immigration 101

The U.S. immigration system is complex and can be difficult to understand. These resources provide key data points, historical information, and background on hot topics in immigration. Learn the basics about immigration. 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.

How the United States Immigration System Works

U.S. immigration law is very complex, and there is much confusion as to how it works. This fact sheet provides basic information…

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Birthright Citizenship in the United States

This fact sheet explains birthright citizenship, the Fourteenth Amendment, and its interpretations. Who is…

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Asylum in the United States

Asylum seekers must navigate a difficult and complex process that can involve multiple government…

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Congress Debates Current Policies That Make Life More Difficult for Immigrant Service Members and Their Families

Congress Debates Current Policies That Make Life More Difficult for Immigrant Service Members and Their Families

At a House Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee Hearing on Tuesday, Congress heard testimony from experts about the impact of recent immigration policies affecting foreign-born military members, veterans, and their families. The witnesses addressed a myriad of policy changes surrounding the naturalization of service members and the separation of military families. Policy… Read More

USCIS Changes Policy on Fee Waivers, Potentially Deterring Thousands of Citizenship Applications

USCIS Changes Policy on Fee Waivers, Potentially Deterring Thousands of Citizenship Applications

The cost of filing an application for citizenship—usually a hefty $725—has long been a barrier for some immigrants. Now, a change to the naturalization process may leave even more people priced out of becoming a U.S. citizen. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced a… Read More

How States Expand Access to Driver’s Licenses Ahead of Real ID Deadline

How States Expand Access to Driver’s Licenses Ahead of Real ID Deadline

Beginning in December, all New Yorkers will be able to apply for a driver’s license—regardless of immigration status. The Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act, or “Green Light” bill, passed the New York Senate in June. Oregon passed a similar bill, the Equal Access to Roads Act, that month. It… Read More

The Trump Administration Wants to Return to a Pre-Civil Rights Immigration System

The Trump Administration Wants to Return to a Pre-Civil Rights Immigration System

The ideology of President Trump is about more than limiting how many immigrants enter the United States each year; it’s about turning back the clock on U.S. social history. A recent analysis by law professor Robert Tsai explores how President Trump’s ideology—labeled “Trumpism”—is the latest installment… Read More

In Historic Ruling, Thousands of Immigrants Waiting for Their Immigration Records Can Now Challenge Agency Delay

In Historic Ruling, Thousands of Immigrants Waiting for Their Immigration Records Can Now Challenge Agency Delay

A federal court in San Francisco certified two nationwide classes of immigrants and attorneys challenging extreme agency delays in producing immigration case files. Plaintiffs allege that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have a system-wide practice of failing to… Read More

How Trump’s New Healthcare Ban Threatens the Legal Immigration System

How Trump’s New Healthcare Ban Threatens the Legal Immigration System

President Trump invoked the same legal authority used for the Travel Ban to impose a sweeping new ban on legal immigration last week. Under the new ban, which analysis suggests could block as much as two thirds of all immigrants from coming… Read More

Agency Delay Litigation: Opposing a Motion to Dismiss

Agency Delay Litigation: Opposing a Motion to Dismiss

This practice advisory summarizes the most common grounds raised by the government in motions to dismiss federal court agency adjudication delay lawsuits and outlines arguments that can be made in response. Read More

Why Don’t Immigrants Apply for Citizenship?

Why Don’t Immigrants Apply for Citizenship?

There is no line available for undocumented immigrants and the “regular channels” do not include them. Read More

Deporting Immigrants Does Not Lower Crime, According to Study

Deporting Immigrants Does Not Lower Crime, According to Study

The mass deportation of immigrants from the United States under the Secure Communities program has had no appreciable impact on local crime rates. Why? Because most of the immigrants being deported do not have serious criminal records. That is the simple yet powerful conclusion of a recent study… Read More

The National Park Service Warns Border Wall Construction Could Destroy 22 Archaeological Sites 

The National Park Service Warns Border Wall Construction Could Destroy 22 Archaeological Sites 

In the Trump administration’s rush to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, 22 archaeological sites could be damaged or entirely destroyed. This warning comes from an internal National Park Service report that details how new border fencing, bulldozers, excavators, and Border Patrol four-wheelers could irrevocably harm ancient… Read More

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