Immigration 101

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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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

  • Research and Analysis

Preliminary Census Data Released: New Estimates Attempt to Reveal Demographics of U.S.

Publication Date: 
March 1, 2002
A recent 2000 Census Bureau report finds an increase in foreign-born residents who are naturalized citizens. Survey data shows the foreign-born percentage of the U.S. population remains constant...
  • Fact Sheet

The 2010 Census: The Stakes of an Accurate Count

Every 10 years, as required by the U.S. Constitution, the federal government undertakes a massive nationwide effort to count the residents of the United States, who now number more than 300 million...
  • Blog

The Senate Reveals CBP Violated the Law by Rounding Up Migrants — In Guatemala

October 19, 2020

As the Trump administration cracked down on migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, it has often invoked the concept of “national sovereignty” to justify drastic policy changes. But a new Senate...

  • Blog

Indigenous People Face Persistent Language Access Challenges in Immigration Detention

October 12, 2020

The effort to permanently replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day signifies a growing movement to honor the resilience and history of indigenous communities. The day presents an...

  • Blog

USCIS’ Changes to ‘Affidavit of Support’ Make It Harder for Americans to Sponsor Immigrant Family Members

October 7, 2020

The Department of Homeland Security has proposed a rule that would make it much more difficult for U.S. citizens and legal immigrants—especially those experiencing financial hardship—to sponsor...

  • Blog

Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Legacy on Immigration

September 23, 2020

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a fierce champion of progressive rights and the second woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice, died on Sept. 18, 2020. Long recognized as a staunch advocate for women’s...

  • Blog

The Demand for U.S. Visas Will Drop for Years to Come in the Aftermath of the Pandemic

September 22, 2020

The Trump administration continues to express belief that the coronavirus “will go away”—but the U.S. State Department does not seem to agree. In a recent memo signed by Secretary of State Mike...

  • Blog

Citizenship Backlogs at USCIS Will Block Hundreds of Thousands from Voting in the 2020 Election

September 10, 2020

Hundreds of thousands of immigrants might be prevented from voting in the 2020 election—even though they are just one step away from becoming new Americans. Years of fiscal mismanagement at U.S....

  • Blog

Diversity Visa Ban Struck Down by Judge

September 8, 2020

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to resume issuing diversity visas on September 5. Each year, the State Department uses a lottery system to select visa recipients from a broad...

  • Blog

Immigrant Workers are Essential to the United States Postal Service

August 31, 2020

The United States Postal Service (USPS) will play an outsized role in the 2020 presidential election, as more states focus on mail-in voting to help curb the spread of the coronavirus at polling...

  • Blog

USCIS Cancelled Planned Staff Furloughs, But Budgetary Challenges Remain

August 26, 2020

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) told Congress in May that it was running out of money and would need a $1.2 billion bailout to maintain its operations without major disruptions....

  • Blog

The Lie About Kamala Harris and Birthright Citizenship

August 18, 2020

People born in the United States are American citizens, regardless of what President Trump claims. Birthright citizenship—enshrined by the Fourteenth Amendment in the U.S. Constitution—guarantees...

  • Blog

California Law Would Prevent Transfers From Local Law Enforcement to ICE Custody

September 9, 2021

Proposed legislation in California that would further limit the state’s involvement in immigration detention has made progress toward becoming law. The VISION Act would prevent transfers to U.S....

  • Blog

President Biden is Overseeing a Historic Decline in Legal Immigration

August 31, 2021

The Biden administration predicts that it will fail to issue many of the legal permanent resident visas—also known as green cards—allotted this year for immigrants who have been sponsored by a U.S...

  • Blog

Felony Reentry Immigration Law Is Unconstitutional Due to Racist Origins, Judge Rules

August 27, 2021

The post Felony Reentry Immigration Law Is Unconstitutional Due to Racist Origins, Judge Rules...

  • Blog

Diversity Visa Lottery Winners Might Lose Chance to Come to the U.S. Due to Delays, Trump Policies

August 25, 2021

For the second year in a row, many winners of the diversity visa lottery face the prospect of losing their chance to come to the United States because the federal government can’t—or won’t—issue...

  • Fact Sheet

Prosecuting People for Coming to the United States

Publication Date: 
August 23, 2021
Over the last two decades, the federal government increasingly has utilized the criminal courts to punish people for immigration violations. This overview provides basic information about entry-...
  • Fact Sheet

Documented Dreamers: An Overview

Publication Date: 
August 20, 2021
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

People of Color Made Up All of the United States’ Population Growth in the Last 10 Years

August 18, 2021

Demographers have known for decades that the United States is well on its way to becoming a predominantly multi-racial and multi-ethnic society. New data from the 2020 Census reveals how rapidly...

  • Blog

America’s Ending in Afghanistan Must Ensure Safe Passage for Our Afghan Allies

August 18, 2021

Across centuries, Afghanistan has been a nation unconquerable. From the conquest of Alexander the Great to the United States military, insurgent forces have beat back the offensive from some of...

  • Blog

The New CBP One App May Put Immigrants and Travelers’ Privacy at Risk

August 5, 2021

It is unquestionable that technology creates efficiencies. But efficiency should not come at the total expense of privacy. A new app from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) toes that line...

  • 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...

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