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.
Can You Navigate the Immigration Maze to US Citizenship?
Americans often ask: Why don't undocumented immigrants simply come to the U.S. legally or just “get in line?" A new Reason Foundation chart addresses the question head-on by detailing how complicated the immigration maze is, demonstrating the countless requirements that must be met, and the red tape that must be navigated. Not only is the maze to US citizenship long and grueling, overly restrictive legal limits on green cards mean that virtually all undocumented immigrants have no alternative for legal entry to the U.S. Our laws have not been updated in nearly 20 years and there are only limited avenues for securing legal immigration status. Read More
What Obama’s Speech Means for Immigration
Immigration was not overlooked during Barack Obama's momentous closing speech on Thursday night. "Passions fly on immigration," said Obama, "but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers. This too is part of America's promise - the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort." At the very end of a Democratic National Convention during which immigration was often shadowed by the politics of the race and the burning issues of Iraq and the economy, Obama made sure that immigration was written into his history-making speech. Read More
DNC Live: National Hispanic Leadership Agenda
Yesterday the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA)--a nonpartisan association of Hispanic organizations and leaders--announced a bold new policy agenda at the DNC, calling upon elected officials, candidates, political parties, the media and the general public to consider and adopt the NHLA platform. The Hispanic Policy Agenda addresses prime policy issues facing Hispanics in six main issue areas: Education Civil rights Immigration Economic Empowerment Health Government Accountability NHLA Chair and President of the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDEF), John Trasvina, began by introducing the purpose of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda as being the establishment of a set of principles and priorities that the candidates need to adopt if they want to gain the support of the Latinos. "We need to make sure that the truth is spoken about immigration and the needs of the Latino community and we don't let others define what we are," said Trasvina. Read More
DNC Live: Janet Murguia Concludes NDN Immigration Forum
Janet Murguia, CEO of President of National Council of La Raza was the final speaker at NDN's Immigration Reform and the Next Administration forum event at the DNC. Murguia wanted to add another dimension to the conversation by pointing out that as a Latina, she and her fellow Latinos care about a lot of issues--yet immigration is the single issue that crosses across the community and is mobilizing Latinos across the country. Read More
DNC Live: NDN Immigration Forum Resumes with Frank Sharry
Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America's Voice was the third speaker featured at NDN's Immigration Reform and the Next Administration forum event. Sharry began by providing a definition for attrition through enforcement: From the policy point of view, attrition through enforcement assumes we have good laws and bad people and what we have to do is enforce the good laws so that the bad people go away. The idea is to make life so miserable so people will leave. He referred to it as more accurately being a form of "non-violent ethnic cleansing"--making a bad problem worse. Read More
DNC Live: Marco Lopez Continues NDN Immigration Discussion
The next speaker at the NDN's Immigration Reform and the Next Administration forum event at the DNC was Marco Lopez of Arizona, a rising star in American politics. Lopez talked about what Arizona has had to do "creatively" to tackle the growing trend of migration from South to North, acknowledging that Arizona--as one of the fastest growing states--needs workers. Read More
DNC Live: NDN Immigration Forum with Zoe Lofgren
NDN is currently holding a forum on Immigration Reform and the Next Administration at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. NDN President Simon Rosenberg began the conversation acknowledging that the Democrats have "woken up" to the relevance of the immigrant voting population in the upcoming election. NDN Vice-president, Andres Ramirez, introduced Congresswoman and Chairman of the House Committee on Immigration Reform, Zoe Lofgren of California. Read More
What Biden Means for Immigration Reform
This past weekend, presumptive Democratic nominee, Barack Obama, introduced Joseph Biden of Delaware as his vice-presidential running mate. Pro-immigrant and labor groups have lauded Obama's decision to run next to a six-term senator with foreign policy expertise and a firm commitment to comprehensive immigration reform. Frank Sharry of America's voice and a featured panelist at NDN's Immigration Reform and the Next Administration forum event at the DNC said in a released statement "As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he [Biden] has been a strong, consistent and unwavering supporter of common sense immigration reform. Biden understands, as do the majority of Americans, that the immigration system is broken and the current Administration has failed miserably to solve the problem." Read More
Olympic Win Highlights Immigration Challenges
On Tuesday night, Henry Cejudo nabbed an Olympic gold medal for the U.S. and realized the dream that his mother, Nelly Rico, carried with her as she crossed the border from Mexico over twenty years ago. Rico—an undocumented immigrant—encouraged her children to work hard and aim high. Now her son is an American hero and the youngest American wrestler to win a gold in the Olympics. Read More
Voodoo Science Blames Climate Change on Immigrants
According to the anti-immigrant group, the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), immigrants to the US are now to blame for extreme weather, rising sea levels, changing ecosystems, melting glaciers, and dying polar bears. Forget conservation and sustainability, CIS has released yet another junk science report claiming that the key to reducing global CO2 emissions is lowering immigration levels in the US. CIS accuses environmentalists of frivolously focusing too much on energy conservation and efficiency and having "assiduously avoided the underlying issue of growing energy demand driven by immigration-fueled population growth." Meanwhile, US government scientists say there's insufficient evidence to draw any clear conclusion of immigration's impact on the environment. In fact, it's the DHS' crude enforcement measures that have proved most environmentally destructive. Read More
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