Immigration 101

In Just Six Months, Trump’s Immigration Policy Has Built a Crueler World
The American Immigration Council’s new special report, Mass Deportation: Analyzing the Trump Administration’s Attacks on Immigrants, Democracy, and America, is a guide to the first six months of the second Trump administration, what might be coming, and who is being harmed. This is the second in a series of… Read More

Six Months of Trump’s Immigration Agenda: A State and Local Snapshot
The American Immigration Council’s new special report Mass Deportation: Analyzing the Trump Administration’s Attacks on Immigrants, Democracy, and America, focuses on immigration activity at the federal level during Trump’s first six months in office. But state and local governments have been making moves of their own. While much of… Read More

US Citizens—Not Migrants—Smuggle the Majority of Fentanyl Into the United States
President Donald Trump signed The Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act into law on July 16, 2025, aimed at strengthening prison sentences for fentanyl traffickers. All fentanyl-related substances, including copycat versions, will now be classified as a Schedule I drug. When signing the legislation, the president… Read More

The Social Security Insolvency Crisis: How Deportation Makes It Worse
The Social Security benefits that over 61 million retired Americans rely on are already in trouble. A recent report from the Social Security Board of Trustees finds that without action from Congress, retirement benefits could be slashed by 23% as early as 2033. Deporting undocumented immigrants will only exacerbate… Read More

Bipartisan Group of Legislators Keep Dream of Immigration Reform Alive with Reintroduced ‘DIGNIDAD’ Act
On July 15, members of Congress reintroduced what has sadly become an increasingly rare bit of legislation: an immigration reform bill aimed at addressing large-scale systematic problems with our immigration system, which has not received any major update since the 1990s. The “DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act” represents one of the most… Read More

Immigration Challenges and Concerns in Implementing the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’
On July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed H.R. 1, the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” into law. After months of tense intraparty negotiations, Republicans passed the bill through the reconciliation process. This procedural tool, normally reserved for changes to revenue and spending policy, allows legislation to move forward… Read More

I Just Finished a Life-Changing Semester Abroad. But Thanks to Trump’s Policies, I’m Afraid Other Students Won’t Have the Same Opportunity.
My life-long dream of living outside of the United States was recently fulfilled when I embarked on my journey to Madrid, Spain. My decision to reside in Spain for the past four months was influenced by the many years I had spent diligently studying the Spanish language. What first started… Read More

Supreme Court Decision Sparks Confusion, Creates New Hurdles for Federal Court Review of Removal Orders
The Supreme Court’s newest immigration-related decision creates a conundrum: certain noncitizens must now appeal their deportation orders before their removal proceedings are even finished. The decision, Riley v. Bondi, is sure to make it more difficult for those noncitizens—all of whom are seeking protection from persecution or torture—to get… Read More

Trump Creates New System to Impose Millions in Fines on Undocumented Immigrants
Under a new system put in place by the Trump administration on June 27, immigration officers may be able to impose penalties of millions of dollars on certain undocumented immigrants, putting them at risk not only of deportation but of crushing financial debt. Under this new procedure, designed to… Read More

In Birthright Citizenship Decision, the Supreme Court Expanded Trump’s Power
On the surface, the Supreme Court’s ruling in the birthright citizenship case Trump v. CASA was about the dry legal question of whether federal district courts can issue “universal” injunctions—orders constraining the government from acting against individuals beyond those who brought the lawsuit. But the impact of the Court’s decision… Read More
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