Research and Analysis

Defining “Desirable” Immigrants
Under S. 744, “The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act,” a merit-based point system is proposed as a tool to allocate a portion of new immigrant visas each year. Read More

How to Fix a Broken Border: A Three Part Series
If the United States wants effective border security, then more effective law‐enforcement measures must be taken. Read More

Misplaced Priorities: Most Immigrants Deported by ICE in 2013 Were a Threat to No One
No one can say with certainty when the Obama administration will reach the grim milestone of having deported two million people since the President took office in 2008. Regardless of the exact date this symbolic threshold is reached, however, it is important to keep in mind… Read More

Access to Counsel in Immigration Court
Immigrants in immigration court do not have a right to government-appointed counsel. The lack of legal representation has a profound impact on immigrants’ outcomes in removal proceedings. Read More

Cracking the SAFE Act
On June 6, 2013, the House Judiciary Committee considered H.R. 2278, the “Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act,” commonly known as the SAFE Act. This wide-ranging immigration enforcement bill would make unlawful presence in the United States a criminal act punishable with jail time, greatly expand detention… Read More

Behind Closed Doors: An Overview of DHS Restrictions on Access to Counsel
The report describes restrictions on access to legal counsel before DHS, provides a legal landscape, and offers recommendations designed to combat DHS’s harmful practices. It also addresses changes to USCIS guidance made in 2012, intended to expand access to legal representation. Read More

Divided by Detention: Asylum-Seeking Families’ Experiences of Separation
This report examines what happens when “family detention” does not actually keep loved ones together and profiles the experiences of five asylum-seeking families who are divided by detention. Read More

The Growth of the U.S. Deportation Machine
Despite some highly public claims to the contrary, there has been no waning of immigration enforcement in the United States. Read More

The Dream Act, DACA, and Other Policies Designed to Protect Dreamers
This fact sheet provides an overview of the Dream Act and other similar legislative proposals, explains changes made to DACA on March 13, 2019, and provides information about policies at the state level that support Dreamers. Read More

No Childhood Here: Why Central American Children are Fleeing Their Homes
U.S. and regional response must realize that the majority of these children have significant protection needs. Read More
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