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
- September 8, 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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Ninety Percent of DACA-Eligible Population Over 16 are Employed
NEW YORK, NY – As the President prepares to talk about immigration in his State of the Union address tonight, and Congress works to find a solution for Dreamers, New American Economy is releasing data and stories showing just how critical these immigrants are to our communities and… Read More
DACA-Eligible Population Contributes Almost $2.5 Billion to Key Social Service Programs
NEW YORK, NY – While Washington works to find a solution for DREAMers, New American Economy is showcasing the contributions and stories that highlight how the DACA-eligible population contributes to the U.S. economy. Already, NAE has highlighted DACA-eligible immigrant incomes and tax contributions. Today, we look at… Read More
DACA-Eligible Immigrants Paid $3 Billion in Taxes
NEW YORK, NY – While Washington works to find a solution for DREAMers, New American Economy is showcasing the economic contributions and stories that highlight how this population is so critical to our communities. Yesterday, we highlighted the annual income earned by the DACA-eligible population. Today, we spotlight tax contributions: DACA-eligible… Read More
DACA-Eligible Population Earns Nearly $19.9 Billion
NEW YORK, NY – As Congress and the White House spend the next two weeks attempting to reach a fair compromise that addresses the status of nearly 800,000 affected DREAMers, New American Economy will spend the next two weeks highlighting the economic contributions of DACA recipients and the DACA-eligible. The DACA-eligible… Read More
Deep in Conservative South Carolina, Republican Lawmaker Touts DACA’s Economic Necessity
South Carolina is one of America’s reddest states, and Pickens is its reddest county; 75 percent of voters in the county cast their ballot for President Donald Trump in 2016. But when Neal Collins, a Republican representing Pickens, introduced a bill to help South Carolina Dreamers get an education, his… Read More
An Unresolved DACA Would ‘Tear Our World Apart’
Carolina Hernandez-Arango is a business-administration major in her final year at Wichita State University. She is also a mother of two, a community organizer — and a Dreamer, brought to the United States from Mexico by her parents when she was 3 years old to receive urgent medical treatment. Now,… Read More
Brief Profile: Eager To Serve His Country, Dreamer Worries He May Be Thrown Out Instead
Luis Montesdeoca was still in high school when he decided to enlist in the U.S. Army. “I was drawn to the brotherhood and pride,” he says. “But then I found out that I didn’t qualify, because of my immigration status.” Montesdeoca was undocumented. When he was 15 years old, his… Read More
STEM Worker Worries He May No Longer Be Able To Contribute
Brad Figueroa’s parents brought him to the United States from Mexico when he was 2 years old. Six years later, his father died, leaving Figueroa’s mother to raise him alone, working service jobs to make ends meet. When Figueroa, now in his mid 30s, came of age, he immediately began… Read More
In the U.S. Since Age 13, Young Mother Calls DACA Her ‘Last Chance’
For Hyun Jung Kim, an undocumented immigrant from South Korea, last Thanksgiving in Anchorage, Alaska, was typical. “We had a big turkey and Jell-O salad,” she says. “As a family, we gathered, and had a meal together, and celebrated, and were thankful that we are all together.” Kim spent her… Read More
Statement on White House Immigration Proposal
In response to White House’s immigration proposal, New American Economy issued the following statement: “The cost of doing the right thing for Dreamers shouldn’t be a drastic and arbitrary cutback on legal immigration, or the undermining of healthy, bipartisan efforts in Congress,“ said John Feinblatt, President of New American Economy. “We hope… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
