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 24, 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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What This Primary Season Teaches Politicians About Leaning-In To Immigration
Within minutes of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s historic primary defeat to an obscure Tea Party candidate on Tuesday, political strategists and media pundits began to weigh the role immigration reform played in his loss. Some even began to sound the death knell for immigration legislation this year. Read More
Homeland Security Secretary Responds to House Republicans and Flawed Anti-Immigrant Report
Only days after President Obama asked Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson to hold off his deportation review in order to give House Republicans space to move immigration reform negotiations forward, some of those same House Republicans in the Judiciary Committee held an “oversight hearing”… Read More
Foreign Workers Do Fill Critical Needs in U.S. STEM Labor Market
The debate around whether there exists a scarcity of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) workers is heating up once again. The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) released a new report claiming there is not, in fact, a STEM worker “shortage” in the U.S., and therefore no need… Read More
Politics is Personal for Young Undocumented Immigrants
Young undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children—often referred to as DREAMers—have grown up here, gone to school here, and formed deep roots in local communities. And while their immigration status prevents them from voting or even accessing affordable higher education in some states, DREAMers are… Read More
Understanding ICE’s Release of Immigrants with Criminal Convictions
Washington D.C. – Understanding the complexities of immigration law and its intersection with criminal law is not easy. Over the past month, a flood of reports about enforcement policies and deportation data have compounded the confusion. Some of these reports were clearly designed to derail genuine and productive… Read More
Nativist Report Mischaracterizes and Over Dramatizes ICE Releases
Once again, in an attempt to derail an honest debate about immigration policy, the nativist Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) released a report this week claiming that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is setting free tens of thousands of dangerous criminals. The implication, of course, is that… Read More
Righting a Historical Wrong in Same-Sex Marriage Case
Anthony Sullivan, a native of Australia, fell in love with Richard Adams, an American, in 1971. A few years later, the couple traveled to Colorado when they learned the county clerk in Boulder was issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Soon after, they filed a green-card petition based on… Read More
Why Allowing All Immigrants to Drive Legally Is Good Policy
Immigrants across the country are helping to revitalize declining areas and growing state and local economies, and local officials increasingly recognize the vital roles of these immigrant workers, business owners, and entrepreneurs. Some states and cities are creating welcoming initiatives to draw immigrants to and help them integrate into their… Read More
Grupo Nativista Insta al Partido Republicano a Alejarse Aún Más de la Comunidad de Inmigrantes
Los grupos anti-inmigrantes utilizan periódicamente una táctica común que consiste en hacer circular informes que advierten a los legisladores y al público en general acerca del carácter supuestamente amenazante de los inmigrantes. Estos informes tienden a retratar a los inmigrantes como una carga económica y fiscal, una amenaza para… Read More
Nativist Group Urges Republican Party to Further Alienate the Immigrant Community
Anti-immigrant groups periodically use a common tactic of circulating reports warning lawmakers and the general public about immigrants’ supposedly threatening character. These reports often consist of portraying immigrants as an economic and fiscal burden, a threat to societal integration, or a political menace to an idealized status quo. Following… Read More
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