Immigration 101

The U.S. immigration system is complex and can be difficult to understand. These resources provide key data points, historical information, and background on hot topics in immigration. Learn the basics about immigration.

Recent Features

Why Don’t Immigrants Apply for Citizenship?

There is no line available for undocumented immigrants and the “regular channels” do not include them.

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Fact Sheet
Temporary Protected Status: An Overview

This fact sheet provides an overview of how Temporary Protected Status designations are made, what benefits TPS confers, and how TPS beneficiaries apply for and regularly renew their status.

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How the United States Immigration System Works

U.S. immigration law is very complex. Here's basic information about how the U.S. legal immigration system is designed.

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All Immigration 101 Content

  • Fact Sheet

Legalization Through 245(i)

Publication Date: 
August 2, 2021
This fact sheet from the Council provides an overview of how current immigration law allows certain undocumented immigrants to become Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) without first having to leave...
  • Fact Sheet

Employment-Based Visa Categories in the United States

Publication Date: 
July 8, 2021
Current U.S. immigration law provides several paths for foreign workers to enter the United States for employment purposes on a temporary or permanent basis. This fact sheet provides basic...
  • Fact Sheet

U.S. Citizen Children Impacted by Immigration Enforcement

Publication Date: 
June 24, 2021
Deportations of parents and family members have serious consequences that affect children and extend to communities and the country as a whole.
  • Fact Sheet

Aggravated Felonies: An Overview

Publication Date: 
March 16, 2021
This fact sheet provides an overview of “aggravated felonies” under federal immigration law and the immigration consequences of being convicted of an “aggravated felony.”
  • Special Report

What Immigration Issues Do Americans Hold Sacred?

Publication Date: 
February 18, 2021
Understanding how deeply we hold our immigration stances may matter as much as what our stances are.
  • Fact Sheet

The Difference Between Asylum and Withholding of Removal

Publication Date: 
October 6, 2020
This fact sheet provides an overview of withholding of removal, including the basics of seeking protection in the United States, eligibility requirements, the application process, and data on...
  • Special Report

The Impact of COVID-19 on Noncitizens and Across the U.S. Immigration System

Publication Date: 
September 30, 2020
This report identifies disruptions throughout the immigration system because of the COVID-19 pandemic and makes recommendations for improvements to the federal government’s response.
  • Fact Sheet

The Exchange Visitor Program and J-1 Visas

Publication Date: 
June 18, 2020
The Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) initially brought scholars to the United States to teach or conduct research. Today, there are 14 categories of programs through which EVP participants can teach,...
  • Fact Sheet

The High Cost and Diminishing Returns of a Border Wall

Publication Date: 
September 6, 2019
The fact is that building a fortified and impenetrable wall between the United States and Mexico is unnecessary, complicated, ineffective, expensive, and would create a host of additional problems.
  • Special Report

Changing Patterns of Interior Immigration Enforcement in the United States, 2016 -2018

Publication Date: 
July 1, 2019
To better understand the changing interior enforcement trends under the Trump administration, this report analyzes individual-level data on immigration enforcement outcomes.
  • Blog

Why Are Border Crossings at Their Lowest Level in Four Years?

July 19, 2024

Border crossings are at their lowest in four years. Is the Biden administration’s executive action working as intended—or is there another factor at play? Apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border...

  • Blog

Immigrants Are Key to Filling US Labor Shortages, New Data Finds

July 2, 2024

Almost one in every seven people in the United States is an immigrant, according to the American Immigration Council’s new analysis of the 2022 American Community Survey. The updated state-level...

  • Blog

Border Patrol’s 100th Anniversary Offers Chance to Look Back at Its Disturbing Origins

June 7, 2024

The U.S. Border Patrol turned 100 years old on May 28. Its troubled origins and history form the backdrop for contemporary concerns about the agency, including impunity for abuses against migrants...

  • Blog

Are More Undocumented Immigrants Living in the US Now? Here’s What the Numbers Say

June 7, 2024

According to a new report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, about 11.0 million undocumented immigrants were living in the United States in 2022—a 4.6% increase from 2020. This is...

  • Blog

Biden’s New Changes to the Asylum Process: What You Need to Know

June 5, 2024

On June 4, President Biden issued a sweeping order under section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act claiming that allows him to “suspend the entry” of most migrants who cross the border...

  • Blog

Congress Expands Warrantless Surveillance of Immigrants Traveling to the US

April 26, 2024

On April 19, forty minutes after the ostensible deadline to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), Congress passed H.R. 7888, the Reforming Intelligence and...

  • Blog

Data Snapshot: Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants

April 23, 2024

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently announced its revision of the race and ethnicity question on federal surveys, including the U.S. census, adding “Middle Eastern or...

  • Blog

Immigrants Contribute Billions to Federal and State Taxes Each Year

April 15, 2024

Without fail, each Tax Day a prevalent myth resurfaces that conceals the truth about immigrants’ contributions to federal, state, and local taxes. Bolstered by social media and other outlets, it...

  • Blog

FY 2024 Government Funding Package Is a Mixed-Bag on Immigration

April 9, 2024

President Biden signed the final 6-bill “minibus” funding package for fiscal year (FY) 2024 on March 23, which includes funding for the agencies that implement our immigration laws. This was the...

  • Blog

Differences in State Sunshine Laws Can Threaten Transparency Around Immigration Detention and Enforcement

March 15, 2024

By Tsion Gurmu, Legal Director at the Black Alliance for Just Immigration and Raul Pinto, Deputy Legal Director of Transparency The main way in which the public can access information about what...

  • Press Release

Administration’s Attempt to Restrict Asylum is Illegal and Un-American

November 8, 2018
The Trump administration revealed today a new interim final regulation that restricts access to asylum at the border, causing chaos and uncertainty for many seeking protection.
  • Press Release

American Immigration Council on President Trump’s Plan to End Birthright Citizenship

October 30, 2018
President Donald Trump said yesterday in an interview that he plans to sign an executive order to eliminate birthright citizenship, a principle enshrined in the U.S. Constitution that grants citizenship to any person born within the territory of the United States.
  • Press Release

The Immigrant Success Story: How Family-Based Immigrants Thrive in America

June 12, 2018
Through analysis of data from the decennial census and administrative data from the Immigration and Naturalization Service, this special report examines the earnings gains over time of all immigrants, as well as the earnings gains experienced by family-based immigrants compared to employment-based immigrants.
  • Press Release

NAS Report Finds Immigration a Win for the U.S. Economy

September 21, 2016
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) immigration report takes a comprehensive look at the fiscal and economic impact of immigration.
  • Press Release

Practical, Comprehensive Immigration Solutions Promote Public Safety

July 21, 2015

Washington D.C.

  • Press Release

Immigration Council Strongly Reaffirms Research on Reagan-Bush Family Fairness Policy

December 5, 2014

Washington D.C.

  • Press Release

Understanding ICE’s Release of Immigrants with Criminal Convictions

May 15, 2014

Washington D.C. - Understanding the complexities of immigration law and its intersection with criminal law is not easy.

  • Press Release

New Report from Center for Immigration Studies on Deportation Data Misleads and Misinforms

March 31, 2014

Washington D.C. – Today the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) released a new report that makes a range of false claims about deportation data.

  • Press Release

The Real Meaning of “Self-Deportation”

January 26, 2012

Washington D.C. - The term “self-deportation” has found its way into the GOP presidential primary race, with candidate Mitt Romney outlining a vague immigration pl

  • Press Release

New Study on Immigrant Integration Compares and Ranks the United States, Canada, and Europe

February 28, 2011

Washington D.C. - In cooperation with the Immigration Policy Center, the British Council and the Migration Policy Group release a new study today which reviews and

  • Blog

Giving Thanks to the Hands That Feed America: Immigrant Farmworkers

November 22, 2024

With the approach of Thanksgiving, when many families will be celebrating with food and gratitude, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on the people who help make Thanksgiving celebrations...

  • Fact Sheet

Documented Dreamers: An Overview

Publication Date: 
November 18, 2024
This fact sheet provides an overview of Documented Dreamers, explains how they can age out of immigration status at 21, and summarizes the current federal legislative proposals to protect them from...
  • Blog

Biden Should Use His Authority to Protect Vulnerable Immigrants Before He Leaves Office

November 13, 2024

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...

  • FOIA Litigation

Council Litigation Seeks Refugee Processing Data

This Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit seeks to compel the U.S. Department of State to release data about the demographics, processing, and adjudication of refugees’ applications for...

  • Blog

Temporary Protected Status: What’s Up With That?

October 29, 2024

On October 17, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Secretary Mayorkas was designating the country of Lebanon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Through this designation,...

  • Blog

The Origins of Birthright Citizenship in the United States, Explained

October 18, 2024
For over a century, the United States has applied the principle birthplace-based citizenship to grant American citizenship to anyone born on U.S. territory regardless of their parent’s immigration status.
  • Blog

Immigrants Do Not Commit More Crimes in the US, Despite Fearmongering

October 17, 2024

Written by Yared Avalos Iniguez, Communications Intern and Hannah Boyke, Research Intern Across the globe, immigrants are increasingly being blamed for committing crimes, with right-wing groups...

  • Fact Sheet

Debunking the Myth of Immigrants and Crime

Publication Date: 
October 17, 2024
Using Uniform Crime Reporting data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and population data from the U. S. Census Bureau, the Council created a report on the relationship between immigrants...
  • Special Report

Building Community and Fueling Growth: The Role of Immigrants in Reviving the Great Lakes Region

Publication Date: 
October 15, 2024
“Building Community and Fueling Growth: The Role of Immigrants in Reviving the Great Lakes Region” was written in partnership with the American Immigration Council (AIC) and is an in-depth analysis...
  • Press Release

NEW REPORT: Immigrants are Fueling Economic Growth, Revitalizing Communities in Great Lakes States

October 15, 2024
A new report describes how immigrants are key to the economic success and future viability of communities across the Great Lakes region.

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