Amid growing immigration concerns in the U.S., some states are hoping to have more of a say in how they are able to handle immigration-related issues via state-based legislation. For example, in November 2023, Texas passed a bill, Senate Bill 4 (SB 4), that would allow police, sheriff’s deputies and state troopers to arrest individuals suspected of illegally crossing into the U.S. While the legislation passed and was set to go into effect on March 5, 2024, it is currently held up in an appeals court and has not been enacted yet. The bill received support from conservatives, including the…

As the debate on America’s immigration policies continues to evolve, Republican governors have begun transporting migrants to more Democratic-leaning cities throughout the U.S. While some support the move, arguing that immigrants should be moved to what have been deemed sanctuary cities and locations where they can be better supported, others object and argue that the new policy is inhumane and carries racist undertones. Two of the main proponents of immigrant relocation are Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, both Republicans. In September, DeSantis organized flights from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, an island in Massachusetts, for 50 Venezuelan…

Since Russia started its invasion of Ukraine in February, almost 4 million people have fled Ukraine in one of the most significant European refugee crises since World War II. Countries, including the United States, were then faced with the pressing question of how many of those refugees to accept — if any. By late March, the Biden administration announced that the U.S. would accept 100,000 Ukrainians and other displaced people fleeing the conflict. Priority was given to LGBTQI people, those with medical needs, journalists and dissidents. The move came amid broad popular support. A March AP-NORC poll found almost 70%…

A record number of unaccompanied children reached the U.S. border in March 2021, more than the last record set in March 2019. The surge left the Biden administration scrambling to find an immediate solution to house and care for the migrant children and families while balancing its long-term immigration agenda. On his first day in office, President Joe Biden introduced a legislative framework that demonstrated that he would be taking a different approach to immigration issues than his predecessor, former President Donald Trump. Specifically, the U.S. Citizen Act of 2021 would provide an eight-year pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants,…

The Trump administration announced this fall that it would accept a lower number of refugee admissions in the coming year. In a proposal sent to Congress, the administration said it would accept 15,000 refugees in fiscal year 2021, a more than 15% reduction from fiscal year 2020. The U.S. State Department justified the plan, saying it reflects the administration’s mission to protect Americans, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The president’s proposal for refugee resettlement in FY 2021 reaffirms America’s enduring commitment to assist the world’s most vulnerable people while fulfilling our first duty to protect and serve the American people,”…

On November 20, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Haitians living and working in the United States since an earthquake ravaged their country 2010 will have to leave or be deported by July 2019. About 60,000 Haitians currently benefit from the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. The DHS announcement followed an October decision by the Trump Administration that ended the protection for 2,500 Nicaraguans. The protection is offered to U.S. resident and undocumented immigrants when war, natural disaster, or other “extraordinary” conditions temporarily make return to their native…

Although the immigration reform debate has been stalled in Congress for some time, a new discussion has revolved around “sanctuary cities” — generally defined as jurisdictions with policies or laws that limit the extent to which local law enforcement will assist the Federal Government on immigration matters. Currently, more than 200 State and local jurisdictions have policies that do not honor U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention requests. The sanctuary movement grew out of efforts by churches in the 1980s to provide safe havens for those fleeing violence in Central America. The logic behind sanctuary cities is that encouraging…

With Congress now back in session after a holiday break, lawmakers appear ready to start debating the details of immigration reform legislation. A bipartisan “gang of eight” senators is on track to introduce a comprehensive bill within the next week, according to Senator Charles Schumer (NY-D), one of its members. The group reportedly has reached agreement on several major provisions, while other somewhat less prominent issues have yet to be resolved. The package is expected to address the following: Pathway to Citizenship In December 2010, Congress rejected the DREAM Act when Republican opposition denied supporters the 60 Senate votes needed…

The Obama Administration announced today that it will stop deporting and start granting work permits to younger illegal immigrants who meet specific criteria. The new policy is consistent with the DREAM Act, legislation to streamline the legalization process for young undocumented immigrants. That legislation has stalled in Congress since December 2010, when the Senate bill fell short (55 to 41) of the 60 votes needed to prevent a Republican filibuster. (For background on this issue, see the November 2010 Congressional Digest, “The DREAM Act.”) Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced the new policy, stating: “Our Nation’s immigration laws must…