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Abbott’s Anti-Immigrant Blockade Cost the US Billions in Just a Few Days
Less than a week after the Biden Administration announced the impending end to the COVID-era Title 42 border policy, Texas Governor Greg Abbott escalated his ongoing political fight with the Biden administration over its handling of the border. On April 6, Governor Abbott directed the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to “conduct enhanced safety […]
Read MoreThe Biden Administration Needs to Change Course on Green Cards Before It’s Too Late
The Biden administration failed to issue many of the immigrant visas—more commonly known as green cards—that were allotted last year for immigrants who have been sponsored by a U.S. employer or family member. Statistics released by the State Department indicate that 66,781 visas for employment-based immigrants and 141,430 visas for family-based immigrants went unused in […]
Read MoreI Visited Biden’s MPP Tent Courts. The Changes Since Trump Don’t Fix the Program’s Flaws.
More than two years after visiting the Trump administration’s “Migrant Protection Protocols” (MPP) tent courts in Laredo, Texas, I returned to see how they had changed under the Biden administration. While some changes have been made, they haven’t resolved the program’s biggest flaws, such as the danger asylum seekers face in Mexico, low rates of […]
Read MoreUnderstanding Immigration Enforcement Databases
Immigration enforcement in the United States is a behemoth system with operations largely shielded from public view. The two agencies primarily responsible for enforcement, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), receive nearly one-third of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) entire budget. CBP and ICE agents interact with countless people […]
Read MoreMoving Past Politics: How States Are Leading on Immigrant and Refugee Inclusion
While much of today’s immigration debate is laser-focused on the U.S.-Mexico border, states across the country are increasingly creating their own policies that affect the day-to-day lives of millions of immigrants and refugees. Some states like Florida are pursuing restrictive measures that sow fear and uncertainty. But many others are doing the opposite: they are […]
Read MoreImmigrants Punch Above Their Weight as Taxpayers
As Tax Day approaches, it’s a good time to bring the significant tax contributions of immigrants—including undocumented immigrants—into the spotlight. These contributions are indispensable to the health and success of America’s public services and programs. Immigrant households paid $492.4 billion in total taxes in 2019 alone, based on analysis of data from the American Community […]
Read MoreWhat is President Biden’s Plan for Ending Title 42?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in early April that it would end Title 42, the pandemic border policy that allowed immigration officials to rapidly “expel” migrants over 1.7 million times. However, the CDC delayed the termination until May 23 to give the U.S. Department of Homeland Security time to prepare for […]
Read MoreMichael Burtov
In 1989, when Michael Burtov was nine, his family fled anti-Jewish persecution in the Soviet Union and resettled as refugees in Lynn, Massachusetts. “There was a lot of anti-Soviet, anti-Russian sentiment at the time, and I was bullied,” he recalls. But he was determined to seize American opportunity. After graduating from Brandeis University in Waltham, […]
Read MoreLuisa Santos
In 1998, Luisa Santos’ family moved to Miami from Colombia to seek better opportunities. In America, Santos was awestruck by the fancy computers, book-filled libraries and even the air conditioning. In high school, she joined the Future Business Leaders of America and was elected to student government—opportunities that didn’t exist in her native country. Then […]
Read MoreBiden Released His Budget for 2023 – What Does it Mean for Immigration Issues?
Every year, the president submits a budget request to Congress with their proposal for funding the federal government. Over the last 20 years, Congress has spent over $333 billion on immigration enforcement agencies. Recently, President Biden put forward the second budget request of his time in office, for Fiscal Year 2023, which begins on October […]
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