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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What the New Citizenship Fee Structure Means for Aspiring Americans
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is primarily a fee-funded agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Every two years they are required to review the fees they collect and adjust as needed. Earlier this month USCIS announced they have completed their “fee study” and have proposed raising… Read More
Report on Immigrant Welfare Use is Fundamentally Flawed—Here’s Why
It’s déjà vu all over again at the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS). Having released one flawed report on immigrant “welfare” use late last year, CIS has followed up with another that contains the same flaws. The biggest shortcoming of both reports is that they count the public… Read More
To Harvest His Crops, Georgia Farmer Needs U.S. To Improve Immigration Policy
Brent Bloser is a lifelong farmer who must hire 15 to 20 people every season to help him harvest his cotton, peanuts, cucumbers, and tomatoes. But it’s getting harder for him to employ the foreign workers he needs. Not only is the current U.S. guest worker program a bureaucratic hassle,… Read More
Mexican-American Student Sets Her Sights on Congress and a Humanitarian Immigration Policy
Jasmine Martinez is a second-generation Mexican-American who grew up acutely aware of what her family endured to give her a better life. Those sacrifices — and stories about the social injustice and discrimination her grandfather experienced after coming to the United States from Mexico in the 1940s — have inspired… Read More
Immigration Policy Is Preventing This New York Family From Fully Contributing to U.S. Economy
Rosibel Granada is proud of what her three sons—ages 19, 22, and 28—have been able to accomplish since they came to the United States 13 years ago from El Salvador. The eldest works in real estate; her middle child is a chef; and the youngest is in community college, studying… Read More
His Mother was Resilient, but Young Mexican-American Says it’s Citizenship That Ensures His Own Success
Jesus Arzola-Vega credits his mother’s intelligence and resilience with motivating him to earn a college degree and become a business policy fellow at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. His mother had arrived in Detroit from Mexico as an undocumented immigrant and, to provide for her three young children, slogged… Read More
Without Direct Path to Citizenship, Child Immigrant Struggles to Find Work
As a customer service supervisor for Delta Airlines, Carlos Garcia spends his day solving problems for airline passengers. They don’t know he spent most of his life living on the outskirts of American society as an undocumented immigrant. Garcia arrived in Atlanta with his parents at age 13, and as… Read More
Sorry Donald Trump, Immigration is Still Associated with Less Crime and Safer Communities
Donald Trump opened a political rally in Southern California last night by sharing the stage with activists who have lost loved ones at the hands of immigrants in the U.S. without legal status. While no one can minimize the pain associated with losing a family member, Trump’s motive behind… Read More
Deep Faith Motivates Nancy Long’s Support for Immigration Reform
In 2015, Nancy Long treated a young bipolar man who came to the crisis center where she worked as a licensed clinical professional counselor. The young man wasn’t medicated properly, and his family feared for their safety and his own. “They were kind of afraid of him when he was… Read More
Lawyer Says Asylum Seekers Can Wait Years Just To See a Judge
The worst part of representing asylum-seekers in the U.S. legal system is the wait. “It’s awful,” says Jenny Rizzo, who provided pro bono legal representation to refugees in Buffalo, New York, and now serves as executive director of The Pro Bono Project in New Orleans. The system is so overburdened… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
