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.
This Immigration Attorney Says Law-Abiding Undocumented Immigrants Should Have the Chance to Fulfill Their Dreams
When Morella Aguado came to the United States in 1983 from Nicaragua, it was by necessity. She was five months old, and her family was fleeing the Sandanista regime because her uncle was a political prisoner. Life was hard in her new country. Though she received a green card, her… Read More
Why One Professor Is Teaching Her Students About the Need for Immigration Reform
Anna Ochoa O’Leary, assistant professor of Mexican-American Studies at the University of Arizona, teaches her students about how migration is changing American communities. Her syllabi always include a disclaimer that the class will discuss hot-button topics like race and undocumented immigrants. “I’m not blind to the fact that immigration is… Read More
Immigration Policy Standing in Way of Important Construction Work at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
In early 2016, Chasco Constructors was bidding on a construction job at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. It was a big job for the Round Rock, Texas company, and a big opportunity—one that would require about 60 workers with clear background checks and good immigration status. “We just knew that was… Read More
A ‘Most Influential’ Atlantan Says She is a Testament to What Immigrants Can Achieve When They Feel Wanted
Shortly after Lucia Jennings arrived in Valdosta, Georgia, from Rio de Janeiro to attend nursing school in 1975, someone from the local chamber of commerce knocked on her apartment door with a care package of maps, directories and a guide to the area’s best doctors. “I will never forget that,”… Read More
Brought to US as a Child, Undocumented Immigrant is Refused Her Dream of Serving in US Military
Diana Adame thought she had everything she needed to apply for a college ROTC scholarship. She’d done well in high school, taking advanced International Baccalaureate classes. She had written her essays and gotten all her paperwork together. Then she looked at the final to-do list for the application. “At the… Read More
Granting Legal Status Would Reduce Gang Crime and Help Economy, Says Prominent Houston Businessman
Stan Marek knows a thing or two about Houston. The long-time Republican is the CEO of the Marek Family of Companies, a group of construction businesses that stretch back nearly 80 years. “My grandparents built this business around developing a skilled labor force and working hard,” he says. Marek takes… Read More
DACA Recipient Teaches So He Can Give Back to the Community That Welcomed Him
When Julian Cortes was eight years old, his father began receiving death threats from corrupt individuals who worked in his company. Fearing for their safety, the family moved from their native Colombia to Redmond, Washington. “We came on tourist visas and when those expired, we were undocumented,” Cortes… Read More
When Undocumented Immigrants Are Targeted, American Consumers Lose, Says Chamber Executive
Francisco Treviño, President and CEO of the Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, remembers what happened in 2007 when the Oklahoma state legislature passed one of the country’s most punitive immigration laws. Called the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act, the law went so far as to target U.S. citizens,… Read More
Child of Mexican Restaurant Owners Helps Build Houston’s Next Generation of Business Leaders
In 2007, when Laura Murillo became president and CEO of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the organization had just two employees and was in financial peril, about to lose its lease. Under her guidance, it is now the largest Hispanic chamber of commerce in the country, with 4,200 members,… Read More
Steve King’s Committee Continues Attack on President’s Immigration Actions
This week, the newly created “Task Force on Executive Overreach” and its Chairman Steve King (R-IA) held a sparsely-attended hearing on President Obama’s executive actions on immigration, specifically related to expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA). Read More
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No one should face the immigration system alone
