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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Immigrants Add Value to Local Economy, Says the Executive Director of Catholic Charities in East Texas
When the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy passed in 2012, Nell Lawrence, the executive director of Catholic Charities in East Texas, didn’t expect it to impact her life very much. DACA shields many young undocumented immigrants from deportation and allows them to work here legally. But Lawrence expected… Read More
Pastor Peter Matthews Says Congressional Republicans Are Out of Step with Their Evangelical Constituents
In 2015, when Pastor Peter Matthews went to Washington, DC, to urge Congress to pass immigration reform, he and his fellow evangelical leaders realized just how disconnected congressional leaders had become from their evangelical base. In one meeting with then-Speaker John Boehner’s advisors, Matthews and the other pastors made a… Read More
Despite Legal Status, Fear of Forced Return to Mexico for a Dedicated Austin Teacher
When Areli Zarate crossed the border from Mexico at the age of eight, she was with her three brothers, the oldest of whom was nine. They didn’t have any adults with them—their parents were already in the United States—but the four knew that their lives were changing forever. Sixteen years… Read More
For One Young Woman, It Took Becoming a Crime Victim to Get a Green Card
Alina Luna had the grades and the drive to attend college right after high school, but she didn’t have a Social Security Number. As an undocumented immigrant who came to Atlanta from Mexico at the age of 12, she wasn’t allowed to apply for federal financial aid without it. Luna… Read More
Arizona City Council Member: “America Needs the Passion, Skills, and Experience of DREAMers”
Today, Lorenzo Sierra is a city council representative of Avondale, Arizona, a diverse city of 80,000 people. He also works with the next generation of underprivileged Hispanic kids to help them achieve. It’s a mission that stems from his background: Sierra grew up in a poor Tucson neighborhood… Read More
Iowa City Councilwoman Says Immigration Reform Helps Economy and Can Help End Cycle of Abuse
Sara Monroy-Huddleston, a Mexican immigrant and the first Latina woman to run for Iowa’s State House of Representatives, spent years at a local domestic violence agency where she witnessed the systemic obstacles immigrant women faced when trying to escape their abusers. “They face not only domestic violence,” she says. “They… Read More
Comments on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Draft Detainer Policy
Recommendations that DHS promulgate new regulations that ensure more effective oversight over the issuance of detainers and better protection for those subject to detainers.
Response to DHS’s request for comments in connection with a review of existing regulations (submitted April 13, 2011)
Reducing Regulatory Burden; Retrospective Review Under Executive Order 13563, 76 Fed. Reg. 13526 (Mar. 14, 2011) Read More
Immigration Policy Stifled the Athletic Ambitions of One of Florida’s Most Promising Tennis Players
Adrian Escarate was three years old when he arrived in Miami from Santiago, Chile with his parents and older brother. The family overstayed their tourist visas and never tried to establish permanent residency. This was in the 1990s when life was manageable for undocumented immigrants. Escarate’s parents were able to… Read More
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
America's story is an immigrant story.
