Immigration 101
Immigration in the United States is complex and ever-evolving. Start here to understand the fundamental aspects of immigration policy, its history, and its impact on both individuals and the country at large. Learn commonly used terms about immigration law and how the U.S. immigration system is designed. Explore layered topics like how and whether immigrants can become citizens, as well as what individual protections look like under the law.
How the United States Immigration System Works
- How the Immigration System Works
- June 24, 2024
U.S. immigration law is very complex, and there is much confusion as to how it works. This fact sheet provides basic information…
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Birthright Citizenship in the United States
- Birthright Citizenship
- July 9, 2026
This fact sheet explains birthright citizenship, the Fourteenth Amendment, and its interpretations. Who is…
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Asylum in the United States
- Asylum
- August 27, 2014
Asylum seekers must navigate a difficult and complex process that can involve multiple government…
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Ohio Dreamer One of Many Healthcare Workers U.S. Could Lose Without DACA
After many years of struggle, Diana Marquez, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, is living the American Dream. A licensed phlebotomist, she is a supervisor at a Columbus, Ohio, blood bank and owns a three-bedroom home, which she shares with her husband and her 4-year-old son, who was born in the… Read More
Changes in Immigration Policy Dash Dreamer’s Plan to Serve Her Country
Yeimi Lemus, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, had plans to join the U.S. Army on her 18th birthday. Her dream is to become a police detective, and she thought that military training, combined with a college degree, would enable her to reach that goal. But unless current U.S. policy changes,… Read More
More Than 2.5 Million U.S. Citizens Live with DACA-Eligible Immigrants
NEW YORK, NY – While Washington works to find a solution for Dreamers, New American Economy is showcasing how crucial they are to communities across the nation. Over the last few days we’ve shown the impact Dreamers have through their income, tax contributions, payments into … Read More
With Nurse Aides Needed, Trained Dreamer Fears She Will Be Deported
Leyla Sabag is a nurse assistant who is about to start working at a nonprofit clinic for low-income Kansans. “It’s not a job for the weak, definitely — you have to work 16-hour shifts, and you have patients who scream, hit, bite, spit,” she says. “It’s one of those things… Read More
Ohio Student Eyes College, Still Worries About Younger Dreamers
For most of her childhood, Itzel Marquez had no idea she was an undocumented immigrant. Family members had brought her to the United States when she was just 3 years old. When she was 9, she says, “I started hearing about undocumented immigrants on the news, and I asked my… Read More
If Allowed, Dreamer Could Help Ease South Carolina Nursing Shortage
Nineteen-year-old Lenda Vazquez works six to seven days a week at her father’s landscaping business in Gilbert, South Carolina. “I’m pretty much his right-hand man,” she says. Vazquez is an undocumented immigrant, but her protections under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) have allowed her to obtain a driver’s license… Read More
As Reservist Deploys, Fears His DACA Fiancé May Be Deported
Esmeralda Tovar-Contreras is an undocumented immigrant who was brought to the United States from Mexico City when she was 2 years old. Thanks to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which provides qualifying young people like her some protections, the 21-year-old has been able to get a job at a… Read More
New York’s First Undocumented Lawyer: ‘We All Have a Voice’
In 2016, Cesar Vargas became New York state’s first openly undocumented lawyer. It was a major personal accomplishment for Vargas, whose mother brought him to the United States when he was 5 years old, and for New York, which became the third state in the nation to allow undocumented immigrants to… Read More
DACA-Eligible Entrepreneurs Earned More Than $658.7 Million in Total Business Income in 2015
NEW YORK, NY – As the fight to protect Dreamers continues in Washington, NAE is releasing data every day showing just how much DACA-eligible immigrants contribute to the American economy. In today’s installment, we focus on entrepreneurship, and highlight that DACA-eligible immigrants – much like immigrants overall – start businesses at… Read More
New American Economy Launches 15-State Ad Buy to Push DREAMer Legislation
NEW YORK, NY – In effort to push Congress to quickly arrive at an immigration compromise that secures the fate of nearly 800,000 DACA recipients—and up to an additional one million DREAMers—living in the United States, New American Economy is launching a six-figure ad buy in 15 key states across the… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
