Immigration 101

The U.S. immigration system is complex and can be difficult to understand. These resources provide key data points, historical information, and background on hot topics in immigration. Learn the basics about immigration.

Recent Features

All Immigration 101 Content

Publication Date: 
June 5, 2024
On June 4, the Biden administration issued a presidential proclamation and an Interim Final Rule restricting access to asylum for people crossing into the United States without legal status. The...
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January 19, 2024
This fact sheet provides an overview of the benefits of obtaining naturalized citizenship in the United States, as well as information about the naturalized population and those who meet the...
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October 31, 2023
An overview of the Biden administration's parole programs for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans (CHNV), which admit up to 30,000 people per month with the ability to live and work in the...
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August 2, 2023
This fact sheet looks at the population of undocumented students in higher education institutions across the country.
Cover of Refugee Report
Publication Date: 
June 20, 2023
A record 100 million people around the globe were forced to flee their homes in 2022, up from 65 million in 2015. Of those displaced last year, 32.5 million were refugees who had to leave their...
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June 2, 2023
There are more than 23 million female immigrants in the United States, and they are a formidable presence in U.S. society and the economy.­
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January 13, 2023
This program allows Ukrainians displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine to apply to come to the United States through “humanitarian parole.” Ukrainians who are granted humanitarian parole may...
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November 9, 2022
With the 2022 midterm elections on the horizon, this factsheet takes a look at the latest Current Population Survey data from 2022 and compares it to data from 2020 and 2016 in order to provide a...
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October 4, 2022
With the 2022 midterm elections on the horizon, our interactive map uses data to show which states’ electorates are changing most rapidly.
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July 11, 2022

New research from the American Immigration Council, The Economic Contributions of Immigrants in Texas, highlights the crucial role of immigrants in the state’s workforce across the manufacturing,...

Recommendations that DHS promulgate new regulations that ensure more effective oversight over the issuance of detainers and better protection for those subject to detainers.

January 16, 2025

“La tierra se secó.” That was my dad’s short explanation for why he left Mexico as a teenager in the 1970s. His family relied on their small farm in rural northern Mexico for subsistence. But when...

November 22, 2024

On Election Day, voters gathered in various cities and states across the country to cast ballots on immigrant-related issues, like immigration protections, integration, and noncitizen voting. Here...

November 22, 2024

With the approach of Thanksgiving, when many families will be celebrating with food and gratitude, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on the people who help make Thanksgiving celebrations...

November 13, 2024

President-elect Donald Trump vowed to deport millions of immigrants in his successful bid for a second term at the White House. This week, we gained a clearer picture about how he aims to fulfill...

October 29, 2024

On October 17, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Secretary Mayorkas was designating the country of Lebanon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Through this designation,...

October 18, 2024
For over a century, the United States has applied the principle birthplace-based citizenship to grant American citizenship to anyone born on U.S. territory regardless of their parent’s immigration status.
October 17, 2024

Written by Yared Avalos Iniguez, Communications Intern and Hannah Boyke, Research Intern Across the globe, immigrants are increasingly being blamed for committing crimes, with right-wing groups...

October 2, 2024

While immigration remains a top issue for the nation as a whole, for years Minnesota has taken an active role in integrating and supporting immigrants throughout the state. Governor Tim Walz’s...

September 13, 2024

This past week, the Council, alongside the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), had the privilege to present the report the organizations co-authored on U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s...

September 13, 2024

Immigrant entrepreneurs continue to shape our economy and play a critical role in the success and innovation of major corporations. In 2024, this trend is clearer than ever, with 46% of Fortune...

February 3, 2023
The American Immigration Council reports underscore the key role of immigrant healthcare workforces of Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
November 29, 2022
In response to the Supreme Court of the United States hearing oral arguments in the case, U.S. v. Texas -- a dispute over the Biden Administration’s authority to set immigration policy, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the American Immigration Council (AIC) have issued the following statement.
October 4, 2022
The data interactive, “The Changing Demographics of the Electorate at a State Level,” highlights the changes in the demographics of eligible voters in every state now compared to 2016, broken down by gender, age, and ethnicity.
March 23, 2021
The nation has turned its attention to the current situation at the U.S.-Mexico border, including the rise in immigrant children in U.S. government custody. Much of the conversation has focused on a supposed surge in arrivals under the Biden administration, but the current increase began well before President Biden took office.
June 12, 2018
Through analysis of data from the decennial census and administrative data from the Immigration and Naturalization Service, this special report examines the earnings gains over time of all immigrants, as well as the earnings gains experienced by family-based immigrants compared to employment-based immigrants.
September 21, 2016
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) immigration report takes a comprehensive look at the fiscal and economic impact of immigration.
July 21, 2015

Washington D.C.

May 15, 2014

Washington D.C. - Understanding the complexities of immigration law and its intersection with criminal law is not easy.

March 31, 2014

Washington D.C. – Today the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) released a new report that makes a range of false claims about deportation data.

February 21, 2025

Early Friday morning, the Senate is expected to begin the process for passing a budget reconciliation bill, a somewhat obscure Congressional procedure which allows a funding bill to pass both...

Publication Date: 
February 12, 2025
Under the “Migrant Protection Protocols”, individuals who arrive at the southern border and ask for asylum (either at a port of entry or after crossing the border between ports of entry) are given...
February 7, 2025

By Laila Khan and Raul Pinto On his first day in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship for babies of undocumented immigrants and for...

Publication Date: 
February 6, 2025
Under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the president of the United States has the authority to “suspend the entry” of certain noncitizens into the United States under...
January 31, 2025

Across the country, deportation is often discussed as an absolute end. Many politicians run on a platform of stoking fear on immigration, with deportation being the punishment and means to remove...

January 23, 2025

On January 20, 2025, the day President Trump took office for his second term, he issued a series of immigration-related executive orders and proclamations that will quickly re-shape the U.S....

January 22, 2025

WASHINGTON, JAN. 22, 2025 — Today, the House voted in the final step for passing S.

Publication Date: 
January 22, 2025
This fact sheet provides an overview of how Temporary Protected Status designations are made, what benefits TPS confers, and how TPS beneficiaries apply for and regularly renew their status.
January 16, 2025

“La tierra se secó.” That was my dad’s short explanation for why he left Mexico as a teenager in the 1970s. His family relied on their small farm in rural northern Mexico for subsistence. But when...

Publication Date: 
December 10, 2024
The American Immigration Council appeared before Congress to address the catastrophic economic and humane costs of mass deportations.

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