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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With DACA, a Young Woman is Able to Help Americans Start a Business
When Dalia Garcia was 4, her parents brought her across the Mexican border without immigration papers. Back home, they had struggled to find work and feared for their safety because gang violence had taken over their home city of Oaxaca. Life in America was not always easy, because Garcia and… Read More
Arkansas Accountant: Immigrants Pay A Lot Into Local Economies
As the owner of All Services Consulting in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Jacquelynn Cadena helps immigrant entrepreneurs run their businesses efficiently and profitably. She advises them on bookkeeping, insurance, and filing taxes — whatever clients need to best serve their customers and the local economy. With hundreds of clients since she… Read More
The RAISE Act
The Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act (RAISE Act) or S. 354 would mark a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. immigration system. It would significantly reduce levels of legal immigration to the United States. Read More
Three-Year-Old Immigrant Child Released After Two Years of Detention
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 sympathetic cases for release he had encountered in his career. The child’s release marks what will hopefully be… Read More
Chamber Maid Part of Las Vegas’ Invisible Army of Immigrant Workers
Mexican immigrant Claudia Ramos is a member of the largely invisible army that keeps Las Vegas’ tourist economy booming. She cleans guest rooms at the Paris Casino to serve some of the nearly 43 million people who visit southern Nevada annually. People don’t realize the work that… Read More
Iraqi Military Interpreter Yearns to Serve U.S. Through Teaching
Safwat Al Baali is grateful for his housekeeping job at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, on the glittery Las Vegas strip. After scraping by for seven months upon receiving political asylum, he is thrilled to be averaging $17.25 an hour with tips. “My life is so good now,” he says. Al Baali… Read More
Immigrants Are Now Five Times More Likely to Die Crossing the Border
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 involved in crossing the border. A new report from the National Foundation of American Policy (NFAP)… Read More
‘Moved by Unfairness of System,’ Executive Skips Retirement to Create Legal-Aid Program
After a 30-year career as a telecommunications executive, Ray Garrido had planned a quiet retirement. But while volunteering as an English tutor in Bremerton, Washington, for immigrants from Mexico and Central America, he heard stories of struggle and hardship that kept tugging at his heart. “I realized there was no… Read More
Massachusetts’ Highest Court Declares Immigration Detainers Are Unenforceable
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 other courts have struck down detainers on the grounds that they violate the Constitution, the Supreme Judicial Court concluded that… Read More
Statement on Senator Lindsay Graham’s and Senator Dick Durbin’s DREAM Act
Following the introduction of the DREAM Act, which aims to product undocumented young immigrants who were brought to this country as children, New American Economy President John Feinblatt issued the following statement: “Boosting the education and earning potential of young immigrants isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
