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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U.S. Citizen Children Impacted by Immigration Enforcement
Deportations of parents and family members have serious consequences that affect children and extend to communities and the country as a whole. Read More
Immigrant Farm Workers Offset Population Loss in an Illinois Small Town
The town of Rantoul, Illinois, used to be home to a U.S. Air Force base. Ever since the base shut down, in 1993, the community has struggled to rebuild its population. Meanwhile, a growing agriculture industry has attracted immigrants, primarily from Mexico, who travel north to work in the corn… Read More
Border Wall May Be an Expensive Solution to a Nonexistent Problem
If the Trump administration fulfills its promise to build a “big, beautiful wall” along the entire length of the U.S.-Mexico border, it will be a very costly solution to a problem that no longer exists—and may not exist again for a very long time. A report from the… Read More
‘We’re Working, Staying out of Trouble,’ Says DACA Recipient
When Radi finished high school, she longed to go to college. But as an undocumented immigrant, she didn’t have the same opportunities as her friends, and for years she waited tables at a local restaurant. Things finally changed with the implementation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a 2012… Read More
Louisiana Lawyer: For Sake of Economy, ‘Make Immigration Viable Again’
When Baton Rouge was devastated by flooding in 2016, it was immigrants who came to the rescue. “There was no way that Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas could rebuild without immigrant labor, whether documented or undocumented,” says Paul “Woody” Scott, a Honduran-American immigration lawyer who has worked in the… Read More
Trump Scapegoats Immigrants with Creation of Office of Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement
President Trump stated that he has “ordered the Department of Homeland Security to create an office to serve American victims during his Joint Address to congress. The office is called VOICE – Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement. Any victim of crime deserves acknowledgement and sympathy, and crime is an… Read More
Immigrant Children Bear the Anxiety of Political Tough Talk
At Public School 78 in Staten Island, New York, Community School Director Maria Brancale has been seeing a lot of empty chairs lately. Half of the school’s students come from immigrant families, and ever since the federal crackdown on immigration she has seen a sharp drop in attendance among parents… Read More
University Students Embrace Immigrant Culture — to America’s Benefit
In 15 years, Zoya Khan has taught more than 1,500 university students. “In my classes, I have first-generation students, honors students, single mothers,” she says. “It’s a diverse group, and I take pride in their achievements.” Khan, an associate professor of Spanish at the University of South Alabama, in Mobile,… Read More
Louisiana Congregation To Muslim Neighbors: ‘We’re Glad You’re Here’
Little Flower Church, a 350-member Roman Catholic congregation located in Monroe, Louisiana, cares deeply about its neighbors. Its annual budget of around $270,000 runs the church’s food bank, and its preschool and daycare center receives an additional $430,000 each year from the city’s department of education. This is why, following… Read More
Here’s How Immigrant Women Are Essential to Our Labor Force
International Women’s Day is an appropriate time to take stock of the many ways in which immigrant women contribute to the labor force of the United States. Some of these contributions are often overlooked, but all of the work that immigrant women do adds value to the economy—and to U.S. Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
