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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Without Immigrants ‘Almost Every Service Industry Would Collapse,’ Says Former Cop and Community Leader
Hector Flores, National Immigration Committee Chair for the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), was raised by his Mexican-American grandparents in South Texas. He spent summers doing migrant work, traveling north to Indiana to pick cherries then south to West Texas to tend to the cotton crop. When he’d… Read More
Many of America’s Best Ideas Have Come From New Americans, Says Immigration Historian
Dr. Shannon Anderson, associate professor of sociology at Roanoke College and author of Immigration, Assimilation, and the Cultural Construction of American National Identity, first became interested in immigration while pursuing her PhD at the University of Virginia. She researched the impact that the perception of immigrants had on the nation. Read More
Immigration Policy Creates Headaches for one of Virginia’s Most Successful Grounds Management Firms
Maria Candler has a college degree in parks, recreation, and tourism—not in business. But at age 22, she took “a temp job” at a small landscaping company near her Virginia home that changed her course. “My job was to answer the phone in the morning, and if need… Read More
Weekend Reading: Highlights from this week’s immigration news (June 27- July 1)
As the Fourth of July weekend begins, we celebrate an inspiring group of famous naturalized citizens who have been honored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York as the “Pride of America.” Honorees include Hari Sreenivasan, anchor and senior Correspondent for PBS NewsHour; Wolfgang Puck, chef and restaurateur; Sundar Pichai,… Read More
Using Personal Experience to Help Undocumented Students Contribute more to South Carolina
When Jennifer Gutierrez-Caldwell thought about whether she wanted to attend college, her mother framed the choice in stark terms. “She said to me ‘Do you want to clean toilets with me or get an education?’” she recalls. Gutierrez-Caldwell, the daughter of former undocumented immigrants from Mexico… Read More
Immigrant Workers Enhance and Expand the U.S. Economy
Over the years, more and more economists have come to the conclusion that immigrant workers “complement” the native-born majority of the labor force by bringing different sets of skills and different demographic profiles with them, both of which enhance and expand the economy as a whole. Immigration restrictionists, in… Read More
Most Americans Reject Trump’s Nativist Agenda
Republican presidential contender Donald Trump may claim to speak in the name of the “American people,” but the fact is that most Americans continue to reject his nativist rhetoric of fear and hate. This is apparent from the results of a survey conducted by the Brookings Institution and Public… Read More
Conservative Christian Says We Have a Mandate From God to Treat Immigrants Humanely
Dr. Carlos Campo, a longtime conservative Christian and the newly appointed president of Ashland University, in Ashland, Ohio, is a proud fighter for immigration reform. Every significant facet of his life — from his family, to his career, to his faith —has reinforced the need to treat this country’s newcomers… Read More
Despite Challenges, Undocumented Youth Earns Her Degree While Giving Back to the Community
Shawnee Taveras, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who recently earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology, has come to recognize that immigration reform — and a new attitude toward undocumented individuals — is vital. “When we came here, we didn’t come to steal; we came to get a better education,”… Read More
This Year’s Celebrate America Creative Writing Contest Winning Entry
The American Immigration Council’s 19th Annual Celebrate America Fifth Grade Creative Writing Contest winner is Eliana Jaffee from the Pardes Jewish School in Scottsdale, Arizona. The contest gives fifth graders the opportunity to learn more about immigration to the U.S. and explain, in their own words, why they are proud… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
