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.
Top Event Producer Thanks Ronald Reagan for Helping Him Realize His Dreams
Ricardo Luna’s mother always believed her son would become a successful entrepreneur, but she never could have guessed that less than 10 years after leaving Zacatecas, Mexico, he’d be hired to produce events for elite corporate and star-studded clientele, including the Grammy Awards. Luna came to the United States when… Read More
Nevada Reverend Says Sheltering Undocumented Immigrants is an Expression of Faith
Last year, Rev. Neal Anderson and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Nevada, became the only church in the state to shelter undocumented immigrants at imminent risk of deportation. It was not a move they took lightly. After much debate, Rev. Anderson says about 80 percent of his congregants came… Read More
States Will Need Immigrants to Counter Aging of the Labor Force
New population projections from the University of Virginia’s Demographics Research Group show that in many states in the Northeast and Midwest, growth of the working-age population is slowing due to aging, lower fertility rates, and people moving out of the state. The aging of the workforce in the… Read More
Retired Physician: Small Towns Need More Doctors, So Why Hinder Undocumented Med Students?
James Merrill has led a life of service. As a doctor in the small town of Enumclaw, Washington, he delivered some 3,000 babies. Many of the families he treated were Mexican immigrants and they made him part of their community. “I was invited to a lot of fiestas,” he says. Read More
1986 Immigration Reform Allowed This Mexican Immigrant to Capture his American Dream
Oscar Gutierrez is Controller of one of Indiana’s wealthiest cities and has an impressive record of service in the U.S. military. And yet, as a child, he never wanted to come to America. His childhood in Toluca, a bustling town near Mexico City, was comfortably middle class, thanks to the… Read More
Though Able to Work, This DACA Recipient Hopes to Eventually Return to School
It wasn’t until she was in high school, that Mari Pachuca learned she didn’t have a Social Security number. Pachuca knew she was undocumented. She was brought to Washington state by her parents at age six and raised by her mother. But the real implications of her legal status only… Read More
Working with Immigrants Convinced One Law Student About the Need for Immigration Reform
Annie Zangari didn’t have particularly strong views on immigration growing up in the predominately white town of Northampton, Pa. But after completing her first year at Villanova University law school, the 23-year-old joined the school’s immigration clinic in May 2013. And she has come to believe that the public perceptions… Read More
Pastor Says Bible is Clear on Immigration: Treat Newcomers with Love, Kindness and Mercy
Pastor Jason Aguilar believes the Bible is clear on immigration policy. To him, even the example of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden can be interpreted through an immigration lens. After the couple tasted the forbidden fruit, God punished them, but also showed compassion. “They had… Read More
Ohio House Candidate Talked Candidly About Need for Immigration Reform
Tom Dunlap spent 18 years in the Huron County Sheriff’s office, including four years as Sheriff. During his career in public service, he’s gotten to know a number of the county’s foreign-born residents. “Over the years many of the migrant farm workers in the muck farm area have stayed and… Read More
After Witnessing an ICE Raid, Restaurant Consultant Considers the Value — and Virtue — of Immigration Reform
Derrick De Lise’s job as a restaurant and hotel consultant is relatively drama-free — except for that one time Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) showed up. De Lise, a Culinary Institute of America graduate in Poughkeepsie, New York, typically spends six to eight weeks at a client’s business, helping to… Read More
All gifts are matched dollar for dollar
No one should face the immigration system alone
