Filter
Businesses and Workers Get Win with Permanent Work Permit Extension Rule
On December 13, the Biden administration issued a permanent rule that automatically extends the validity of certain work permits by up to 540 days if they are timely renewed. The American Immigration Council and many other organizations and businesses made this a key ask to the outgoing administration to protect workers from employment gaps as […]
Read MorePolicy Options: Protecting Immigrant Communities at the State and Local Level
State and local communities are at the forefront of shaping the lives of immigrants. While some have advanced harmful policies, other state and local governments championed efforts to protect newcomers and enable their full participation in their communities. As we look ahead to 2025 and the uncertainty around federal immigration policy, it will be increasingly […]
Read MoreWhat Will Mass Deportations Look Like?
In less than two months, President-elect Donald Trump will begin his second term. We expect a flurry of immigration-related executive actions within days, including a dramatic shift in immigration enforcement in the interior of the United States. On the campaign trail, Trump promised that on “day one” he would “launch the largest deportation program of […]
Read MoreBiden Should Use His Authority to Protect Vulnerable Immigrants Before He Leaves Office
President-elect Donald Trump vowed to deport millions of immigrants in his successful bid for a second term at the White House. This week, we gained a clearer picture about how he aims to fulfill this promise. Tom Homan, former acting chief for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), will oversee border policy and work to fulfill […]
Read MoreCouncil and AILA submit Comments on the Biden Administration’s Final Rule Restricting Access to Humanitarian Protections at the U.S./Mexico Border
The American Immigration Council and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) submitted a joint comment sharing their concerns that these changes would constitute a significant departure from the laws enacted by Congress and lead to more asylum seekers being wrongfully returned to harmful and dangerous conditions.
Read MoreWhat Is the ‘Bipartisan Border Bill’ and How Would It Change the US Immigration System?
The “bipartisan border bill” has been front and center in the presidential election, but it is often presented to the public without clarity on what the bill would actually do. In May, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) introduced S. 4361, the Border Act of 2024. This bill includes nearly identical provisions to a bipartisan immigration […]
Read MoreSeasonal Immigrant Workers Are in High Demand. America’s H-2B Visa Program Isn’t Keeping Up.
Foreign workers have long provided critical support to American businesses in the busy seasons—filling temporary, seasonal jobs when domestic workers were not available. This support—almost always of manual labor—is possible due to the H-2 visa program, which Congress created in 1952 with the aim of “alleviating labor shortages … particularly in periods of intense production.” […]
Read MoreThe Expanding Role of H-2B Workers in the United States
Congress established the H-2 visa program in 1952 to allow U.S. businesses to directly hire seasonal foreign guest workers when American workers were not available, with the aim of “alleviating labor shortages … particularly in periods of intense production.” During the Reagan Administration, Congress created separate visa programs: the H-2A visa, for temporary agricultural workers; […]
Read MoreMake a contribution
Make a direct impact on the lives of immigrants.
