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.
Who and Where Are the Actual and Potential Beneficiaries of DACA?
Since the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was first implemented in August 2012, hundreds of thousands of young immigrants were provided with a temporary reprieve from deportation and access to work authorization. As of March 31, 2015, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had accepted just about… Read More
Six Takeaways from the First Presidential Debate on Immigration Issues
In Cleveland, Ohio, home to nearly half a million immigrants, 10 Republican presidential candidates took to the stage in the first primary debate of the season. Given the pressing need to reform our outdated immigration system, it was no surprise that one of the early questions posed… Read More
Congressional Hearings Highlight Need for Practical, Comprehensive Solutions That Promote Public Safety
The tragic murder of Kathryn Steinle in San Francisco this month prompted Congress to schedule two hearings this week—one held today in the Senate Judiciary Committee and another scheduled for Thursday in the House Judiciary Committee. While several family members of victims shared their heart-wrenching stories of loss… Read More
Anti-Immigrant Group Thinks the Border Can Be Sealed
If there is one thing that the past few decades of immigration enforcement has made clear, it’s that unauthorized immigration responds much more to the U.S. job market and the natural desire for family reunification than it does to border fences or the ubiquitous presence of armed immigration agents. Since… Read More
Immigrants are Less Likely to be Criminals than the Native-Born
When it comes to understanding the relationship between immigration and crime, anecdotes are no substitute for evidence. And, as a new report from the American Immigration Council explains, the evidence has been clear for more than a century: high rates of immigration are associated with lower crime rates, and… Read More
How Growing Latino Economic and Political Power Prevailed Over Donald Trump
When Donald Trump threw his hat into the ring for the GOP Presidential nomination, he made some of the most racist and offensive remarks ever made by a modern-day Presidential candidate, calling Mexican’s “rapists” and criminals. In making these charged remarks he ignored a critical new reality in… Read More
Nativist Group Misrepresents Facts Again to Support Detaining Children and Families
Last week, the nativist group Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) did it again. This time, CIS misrepresented data on children and families appearing in immigration court, echoing what Fox News reported earlier in the week—both outlets implying that detention is necessary to ensure appearance in court. Read More
2016 Presidential Candidates Weigh-In on President Obama’s Immigration Action
Immigration policy has become a hot topic as the 2016 Presidential primary picks up steam. It is no surprise that the issue of Presidential authority over immigration has taken center stage in recent weeks as Hillary Clinton, Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush have all begun discussing their views around how… Read More
Ending Birthright Citizenship: (Still) Unconstitutional, Unwise, Unworkable, and Un-American
The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing entitled “Birthright Citizenship: Is It The Right Policy For America?” The hearing will question whether those born in America will automatically be citizens, as they have been for over 150 years. Undoubtedly, the hearing will feature the same counterproductive anti-immigrant… Read More
Four Myths That Sen. Sessions Believes About Immigration to the United States
Nativist ideology is filled with falsehoods, half-truths, and distortions. From the impact of immigrants on the economy to the pace of their integration into U.S. society, the nativist creed more often than not gets it wrong. For example, consider the current chairman of the Senate’s immigration subcommittee, Sen. Jeff Sessions… Read More
All gifts are matched dollar for dollar
No one should face the immigration system alone
