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
- Interior Enforcement
- May 12, 2026
A new framework for U.S. immigration enforcement that prioritizes public safety, fairness, accountability, and humane, proportionate consequences. Read More
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“They” Are “Us”: The Devastating Effects of Broken Immigration Policy on Children in Immigrant Families
The legacy of our broken immigration system extends far beyond our borders or the job market. The price paid by families caught within the system can be devastating, especially when we fail to pay attention to the importance of integrating newcomers into American life. A New York Times editorial this week follows a study that highlights the importance of integrating new Americans and their children. Read More
New Report Shines Light on Detainee Rights Violations in Minnesota
Over the summer, three graduate students at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute interviewed immigration attorneys and public defenders to document their experiences working with detained immigrants. The result—a heartbreaking account of detainees locked away, without access to counsel or family, in a system where rights and the most minimal detention standards are routinely violated. Read More
Rep. Gutierrez to Hold Tele-Town Hall on Moving Comprehensive Immigration Reform Forward
Tonight, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Immigration Task Force Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)—along with Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY)—will hold a national town hall telephonic briefing to “discuss a progressive outline for immigration reform legislation.” Picking up on the momentum from Department of Homeland… Read More
Secretary Napolitano Makes First Speech on Immigration Reform
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s speech today at the Center for American Progress (CAP) will probably be remembered as a key moment in the history of immigration reform. The Secretary not only expressed support for a comprehensive overhaul of our immigration system, she also made it clear that it is an imperative for the ultimate security of the United States. Read More
Today, We Honor Our Immigrant Service Members
America will celebrate its veterans around the nation today, honoring those who have served our nation with selflessness and bravery. Included in the millions who have served are immigrants. From the Revolutionary war to current conflicts, immigrants have joined the ranks of our military to fight for and defend America since its inception. Read More
House Health Care Bill a Mixed Bag for Immigrants
Late on Saturday night the House passed its health care reform bill and put the ball back in the Senate’s court. The goal is to make health care more affordable and more accessible for millions of Americans. Once again, immigration became a major obstacle to the bill’s passage as immigration restrictionists and others pushed for harsher language and verification rules to exclude unauthorized immigrants from the bill’s benefits. Read More
Two Legal Immigrants Unjustly Detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Over the past several months, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has made concerted efforts to overhaul our flawed immigration detention system—aiming for more transparency and broadened federal oversight. Deserving of equal attention, however, is Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) loose enforcement policy, which also ensnares legal immigrants. Read More
Would Mass Deportation Mean More Jobs for U.S. Workers?
As the U.S. experiences its highest unemployment levels in a generation and news reports document the desperation of some native-born workers who are unable to find steady work, we must ask the question whether now is really the best time to implement a legalization program. Basic math would suggest that 16 million unemployed American workers would benefit from subtracting 12 million undocumented workers from the labor force. However, it isn’t that easy. Mass deportation is no silver bullet for solving our unemployment problem. Our economic and unemployment issues are not a matter of simple math or a zero sum game. In reality, American workers and recent immigrants workers are not easily interchangeable and removing millions of workers and consumers from our fragile economy would only make matters worse. Read More
Focusing on the Solutions: Key Principles of Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Nearly everyone agrees that our immigration system is badly broken and in urgent need of reform. Under the existing system people are dying at the border, immigrants are living and working in abject conditions, families trying to reunite legally are separated for many years, employers are unable to hire the workers that they need, U.S. workers suffer from the unlevel playing field shared with exploited immigrant workers, and law‐abiding U.S. employers are in unfair competition with unscrupulous employers who increase profits by hiring cheap and vulnerable labor. Meanwhile, the United States continues to spend billions of dollars on enforcing these broken laws. Read More
Help Wanted: Broken Immigration Policies Equal Broken Government Responses
This past week, ImmigrationImpact highlighted aspects of a recent Immigration Policy Center (IPC) report, Breaking Down the Problems, What’s Wrong With our Immigration System?. The report highlights the problems faced by American families, businesses, and workers, all caught in a broken immigration system. But the report also addresses the long-term effect of our broken immigration laws on government. Put simply, broken laws equal broken government. Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
