Immigration Reform

Immigration Reform

The last time Congress updated our legal immigration system was November 1990, one month before the World Wide Web went online. We are long overdue for comprehensive immigration reform.

Through immigration reform, we can provide noncitizens with a system of justice that provides due process of law and a meaningful opportunity to be heard. Because it can be a contentious and wide-ranging issue, we aim to provide advocates with facts and work to move bipartisan solutions forward. Read more about topics like legalization for undocumented immigrants and border security below.

In the Spotlight

Restoring Credibility and Humanity

A new framework for U.S. immigration enforcement that prioritizes public safety, fairness, accountability, and humane, proportionate consequences. Read More

Read More Written

Biden’s Plan to Attract Foreign STEM Talent Recognizes Immigration’s Importance in the Global Economy

The Biden administration announced new efforts to modernize parts of our immigration system, and remove barriers to legal immigration. DHS will add 22 new fields of study in the STEM Optional Practical Training program through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, and will implement a series of additional changes to allow foreign students, scholars, and researchers to come to the United States and make meaningful contributions to America’s scholarly, research and development, and innovation communities. Read More

One Year In: The Biden Administration’s Promises on Immigration Remain Unfulfilled

President Biden announced a welcoming and inclusive vision for immigration in a legislative proposal and a series of executive actions signed on his first day in office. But one year into Biden’s presidency, his promises on immigration remain unfulfilled. Read More

Government Funding Explained: The Appropriations Process & Immigration

Government Funding Explained: The Appropriations Process & Immigration

This fact sheet aims to explain the basics of the federal government funding process, also known as appropriations, and show how it affects the world of immigration and immigration enforcement. Read More

House Moves Immigration Reform in Budget Reconciliation, Potentially Transforming the Lives of Millions

WASHINGTON—Today the U.S. House of Representatives voted to include immigration provisions and relief in the budget reconciliation package that will now go before the U.S. Senate. The provisions include protection from deportation and access to work and travel permits for millions of undocumented immigrants who have lived in the United… Read More

Coalition calls on Congress to Fund Appointed Counsel in Immigration Proceedings

The American Immigration Council joined a coalition letter asking Congress to support funding for appointed counsel for immigration proceedings for Fiscal Year 2022. Read More

Coalition Effort Advocates for the Inclusion of Visa-Related Provisions in Budget Reconciliation

The Council joined 89 other organizations in a letter calling for Congress to include visa-related provisions in the budget reconciliation. Read More

Immigration Reform in Budget Reconciliation Is Off to a Rocky Start but Much Is Yet to Come

Immigration Reform in Budget Reconciliation Is Off to a Rocky Start but Much Is Yet to Come

Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough on September 19 rejected Democrats’ initial attempt to include immigration reform provisions in a $3.5 trillion spending bill currently making its way through Congress. Senate Democrats are already formulating alternative proposals for MacDonough to consider in the days ahead. Democrats had initially proposed that the… Read More

The House Offers First Glimpse at Legalization for Millions of Immigrants Through Reconciliation

The House Offers First Glimpse at Legalization for Millions of Immigrants Through Reconciliation

House Democrats began to mark up a budget reconciliation bill on September 10 that would provide a path to legal status for millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States. Although the bill will likely go through multiple changes before a final vote, the text provides an important marker… Read More

Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021

Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021

This fact sheet provides an overview about the legalization program through which certain undocumented farmworkers in the United States could earn legal status. Read More

Legalization Through “Registry”

Legalization Through “Registry”

This fact sheet provides information on a provision called “registry” that allows certain non-citizens who are long-term residents of the United States, but who are either undocumented or present in the country under some sort of temporary immigration status, to “register” for Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status. Read More

America's story is an immigrant story.

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