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
- How the Immigration System Works
- June 23, 2024
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
- Birthright Citizenship
- October 16, 2024
This fact sheet explains birthright citizenship, the Fourteenth Amendment, and its interpretations. Who is…
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Asylum in the United States
- Asylum
- August 27, 2014
Asylum seekers must navigate a difficult and complex process that can involve multiple government…
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After Election, Attention Turns to President Obama’s Immigration Plans
After last night’s midterm elections, Republicans will control both the House and Senate for the last two years of President Obama’s administration. The GOP won Senate seats in at least seven states to give them a majority, and the party held onto its control of the House. That Republicans… Read More
Why Individual Votes Matter in Tomorrow’s Election
Everyone I know, in fact, has complained that they are inundated with email messages, flyers, phone calls and more. As one frustrated voter in Aurora, Colorado told a canvasser, “My phone won’t stop ringing. I remember.” But many people will forget. Or, more specifically, they will choose not to… Read More
Why Immigration Helps African American Employment
An old myth about African Americans and immigrants resurfaced on Monday thanks to a series of over-reactions to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) procurement order. In the complicated world of government procurement, the government has to plan for purchases far in advance, even if it ultimately doesn’t purchase… Read More
Opponents of Immigration Reform Exploit Tragic California Shooting
An unauthorized immigrant allegedly shot and killed two police officers on Friday in Northern California. Not surprisingly, opponents of immigration reform immediately tried to turn a tragic incident into an argument against immigration reform. As Kevin Johnson, dean of University of California-Davis Law School, said, “Everyone agrees that… Read More
Non-Citizen Voter Fraud is Not Swaying Elections
Along with campaign ads and ballot initiatives, the November elections inevitably bring allegations that non-citizens are turning out in droves to skew elections. Despite repeated investigations over the years finding no indication that systematic vote fraud by non-citizens occurs, some voters will have to navigate cumbersome voter identification… Read More
Power of New American, Latino, and Asian Voters Continues to Grow
The U.S. electorate is undergoing a seismic shift that is playing itself out over the course of decades. As the American Immigration Council describes in a new report, “New Americans”—immigrants who are naturalized U.S. citizens, as well as the native-born children of immigrants—comprise a growing share of voters in… Read More
Immigration Restrictionists Exploit Ebola Tragedy
As the Ebola outbreak continues to take lives in West Africa, restrictionists have predictably started their “crusade” to ban travel from West African countries. Specifically, over the past few weeks, nativist groups such as the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) and the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) as well… Read More
Anti-Immigrant Group Runs Ad in States with Key Senate Races
Many opponents of immigration reform view the U.S. job market as a playing field upon which two teams compete: the native-born and immigrants. From this perspective, every job gained by one side amounts to a job lost by the other. And so every immigrant worker who enters the U.S. labor… Read More
Majority of Individuals Released from Immigration Custody Do Appear in Court
Media outlets reported last week that according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), about 70 percent of migrant families encountered at the border since May and released “haven’t reported” to an immigration office as instructed. ICE has released little other information about this data point. Several media outlets published… Read More
New Americans in the Voting Booth: The Growing Electoral Power of Immigrant Communities
Together, New Americans, Latinos, and APIs are the fastest growing segments of the electorate. In the coming years, politicians who alienate these voters will find it increasingly difficult to win national and many state and local elections—especially in close races. Read More
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