Immigration 101

The immigration laws and regulations provide some avenues to apply for lawful status from within the U.S. or to seek relief from deportation.  The eligibility requirements for these benefits and relief can be stringent, and the immigration agencies often adopt overly restrictive interpretations of the requirements.  Learn about advocacy and litigation that has been and can be undertaken to ensure that noncitizens have a fair chance to apply for the benefits and relief for which they are eligible.  

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All Immigration 101 Content

September 1, 2015

A change in topic is desperately needed right now in the political and policy debate over immigration. The most recent public discussions on how to reform immigration—led in large part by the...

August 25, 2015

While some politicians on the campaign trail dial-up the anti-immigrant rhetoric and rehash old debates around birthright citizenship and mass deportation, the majority of America is unmoved....

August 21, 2015

There has been a media frenzy over one of the more draconian components of Republican presidential contender Donald Trump’s immigration policy platform. In his plan, released earlier this week, he...

August 20, 2015

The nature of unauthorized immigration to the United States is changing. Economic and social conditions are changing in both the United States and the countries from which it has traditionally...

August 17, 2015

Over the weekend, Donald Trump—the current frontrunner in the race for the 2016 GOP Presidential nomination—released his immigration policy platform, which is at its core a smorgasbord of tired,...

August 12, 2015

Since the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was first implemented in August 2012, hundreds of thousands of young immigrants were provided with a temporary reprieve from...

August 7, 2015

In Cleveland, Ohio, home to nearly half a million immigrants, 10 Republican presidential candidates took to the stage in the first primary debate of the season. Given the pressing need to reform...

August 6, 2015

In recent weeks, former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley (D) and former Florida governor Jeb Bush (R) have unveiled their approaches to immigration. Although both presidential candidates tackle...

July 31, 2015

Ohio Governor John Kasich is the sixteenth Republican to enter the 2016 presidential race. His campaign website states that Kasich has “done it all.” However, Kasich’s record shows that he has...

July 21, 2015

The tragic murder of Kathryn Steinle in San Francisco this month prompted Congress to schedule two hearings this week—one held today in the Senate Judiciary Committee and another scheduled for...

August 9, 2017

An immigration judge ordered the immediate release of a three-year-old immigrant child and his mother from a detention center in rural Pennsylvania on Monday, stating that it was one of the most...

August 7, 2017

The recent deaths of ten migrants who suffocated in the back of a tractor trailer as they were allegedly being smuggled into the United States has brought renewed attention to the grave risks...

July 28, 2017

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a unanimous decision on Monday holding that Massachusetts court officers may not arrest and detain immigrants based solely on a detainer. Although...

July 12, 2017

Men, women, and children fleeing persecution, grave violence, and even death arrive daily at Ports of Entry (POE) all along the U.S.-Mexico border and present themselves to U.S. Customs and Border...

July 11, 2017

The Pentagon is considering halting a program that allows immigrants with urgently needed skills to serve in the military, putting the thousands of soldiers promised expedited citizenship in...

July 10, 2017

A recent story from ProPublica has revealed an internal February 2017 memorandum authored by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to its employees about the implementation of recent Executive...

June 27, 2017

Over the past two decades, much of the immigration policy debate has focused on issues related to immigration enforcement. In fact, many argue that “enforcement first”—the notion that we must...

June 23, 2017

The American Immigration Council is proud to announce the winner of the 20th Annual Celebrate America Fifth Grade Creative Writing Contest. This contest encourages educators to incorporate lessons...

June 12, 2017

After debate rocked the Texas State Capitol, Governor Greg Abbott signed the controversial Senate Bill 4 (SB4) in May, which purports to ban sanctuary city policies and gives local police the...

May 30, 2017

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials unveiled their newest “overstay” estimates—the number of people from other countries who remain in the United States after their visas expire—at a...

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