History of Immigration
Immigration policies, laws, and attitudes toward immigrants have evolved in the U.S. Our system has continued to adapt over time, responding to changing global dynamics, economic needs, and political pressure. By learning from our immigrant past, we can apply the lessons learned to help shape how we treat immigration and immigrants in the future.
The Lie About Kamala Harris and Birthright Citizenship
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 it. Trump recently suggested to the contrary after a Newsweek column erroneously argued that vice presidential candidate… Read More
Why a Shorter Census Timeline Hurts Immigrant Communities
The Trump administration announced on August 3 plans to end the 2020 Census one month earlier than previously planned. The change has led to fears that immigrant and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) communities will be undercounted. This has the real potential to harm them financially and politically… Read More
Canadian Court Rules US Is No Longer a ‘Safe Third Country’ for Asylum Applicants
A Canadian court has ruled that the United States is no longer a country to which the Canadian government could safely return asylum seekers who crossed the U.S-Canada land border. This upends more than 15 years of bilateral cooperation between the two countries. On July 22, the Federal Court of… Read More
The Impact of COVID-19 on Noncitizens and Across the U.S. Immigration System
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. Read More
America’s Tradition as a Nation of Immigrants Must Not be Compromised
President Donald Trump announced his intention to temporarily suspend immigration to the United States in response to the coronavirus pandemic. A ban on all immigration would be an extraordinary move that flies in the face of our long history as a nation of immigrants. Read More
How Storytelling During the COVID-19 Crisis Can Help Defeat Nativism
We are in the midst of a crisis unlike any we’ve experienced in our lifetimes. We are scared and scrambling to protect ourselves and the ones that we love. This is normal and understandable. However, if we’re not mindful, the spread of the coronavirus and the accompanying fear could create… Read More
With Public Charge Rule Now in Effect, Trump Achieves One of the Largest Cuts to Legal Immigration
After months in the courts, the Trump administration declared victory and began enforcing its new “public charge” rule. The rule goes into effect on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020, inside the United States and at consular posts across the world. Under the rule, immigration officials have far… Read More
USCIS Plans Massive Fee Hike for Access to Genealogical Records
If you have ever wanted to trace your family’s immigration history, you should do it now—accessing genealogical records from the 1800s and 1900s may soon become far more expensive than ever before. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is planning to increase its fees to access… Read More
The Trump Administration Wants to Return to a Pre-Civil Rights Immigration System
The ideology of President Trump is about more than limiting how many immigrants enter the United States each year; it’s about turning back the clock on U.S. social history. A recent analysis by law professor Robert Tsai explores how President Trump’s ideology—labeled “Trumpism”—is the latest installment… Read More
Immigration “Restrictionists” Hitting Their Stride Under Trump, But We Can Stop Them
Short-term thinking is inferior to long-term thinking, some argue, because it does a disservice to the future and those who will live it. Two long-term thinkers who have profoundly impacted U.S. immigration policy were recently in the headlines: John Tanton and Cordelia Scaife May. Both helped give rise to… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
