Immigration Reform

The enforcement of immigration laws is a complex and hotly-debated topic. Learn more about the costs of immigration enforcement and the ways in which the U.S. can enforce our immigration laws humanely and in a manner that ensures due process.

Recent Features

Fact Sheet
The Cost of Immigration Enforcement and Border Security

Since the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003, the federal government has spent an estimated $324 billion on the agencies that carry out immigration enforcement. 

READ MORE

Special Report
Back to the Future: The Impact of Legalization Then and Now

While there are many facets to an intelligent immigration reform package, one thing is clear: legalization for undocumented immigrants helps all of us. 

READ MORE

All Immigration Reform Content

  • Blog

Congress Continues its Knee-Jerk Reaction to Paris Attacks

November 19, 2015

Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4038, the “American Safe Act of 2015” by a vote of 289 to 137, with 47 Democrats and all but two Republicans supporting the bill. This comes less...

  • Blog

Bernie Sanders Immigration Policy Platform, Progressive but Imprecise

November 12, 2015

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) immigration policy platform was recently released and it showcases his thinking around immigration reform, enforcement and his...

  • Blog

Understanding Where We’re at and What Comes Next in DACA/DAPA Case

November 10, 2015

Last night, a divided panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the federal government’s appeal of the preliminary injunction that has halted implementation of President Obama’s 2014...

  • Blog

Setting the Record Straight on the Leaked Government Memo on Work Authorization

November 5, 2015

Recently, a leaked memo related to the Department of Homeland Security’s ongoing deliberations about reforming the employment-based immigrant visa system was published online. An “investigative...

  • Blog

Congress Passes a Budget, But a Government Shutdown is Still Possible

November 3, 2015

Last week Congress passed and on Monday the President signed a two year bipartisan budget agreement that also raised the debt ceiling through March 2017. The two year budget sets federal spending...

  • Blog

DHS Secretary Johnson Discusses Border Security, Executive Action, Refugees and PEP

October 30, 2015

On Thursday, Secretary Jeh Johnson of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) addressed the 12th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference, covering a wide-range of topics, from border...

  • Blog

Why Congress Should Eliminate the Term “Alien” from Federal Law

October 27, 2015

Last week, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) introduced legislation to remove derogatory language describing noncitizens as “aliens” from federal law. The bill, known as the Correcting Hurtful...

  • Blog

Complexity of Central American Migration Explored at Senate Hearing

October 22, 2015

This week, the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held yet another hearing to examine the causes and implications of the high rate of migration from Central America,...

  • Blog

Senate to Vote on “Sanctuary Cities” Legislation

October 19, 2015

The Senate will vote Tuesday on whether to begin debate on Senator David Vitter’s (R-LA) “Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act” (S. 2146). The bill is an enforcement-only approach to...

  • Blog

Four Immigration Issues Covered at the First Democratic Primary Debate

October 14, 2015

The first Democratic debate of the 2016 presidential campaign was held Tuesday in Nevada, which is home to 529,164 immigrants and the highest percentage of undocumented immigrants of any state....

  • Blog

President Trump Honors Holocaust Remembrance Day by Banning Refugees and Muslims

January 28, 2017

President Trump marked the end of his first full week in office with another sweeping Executive Order, this one bringing to a screeching halt the United States’ long history of providing refuge...

  • Blog

Will Congress Fund President Trump’s Executive Order on Border Enforcement?

January 27, 2017

President Donald Trump’s Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements executive order is an attempt to fulfill his campaign pledge to build a wall at the southern border, to provide...

  • Press Release

Statement on Executive Order on Refugees and Muslim Admissions

January 27, 2017
These actions will isolate America and make us all party to blatant and bigoted religious targeting. These actions also ignore the multi-layered processes the government already uses to screen and vet those seeking entry to the U.S., whether as a refugee, on a tourist visa, or another visa permitting entry.
  • Blog

Understanding the Dangerous Implications of President Trump’s Immigration Executive Order

January 26, 2017

On January 25, President Trump signed a pair of immigration-related executive orders, one dealing with border security and the other with immigration enforcement in the interior of the country....

  • Press Release

Statement on President Trump's Executive Actions on Immigration

January 25, 2017
President Trump announced executive orders that are intended to follow through on campaign promises to build a wall and deport millions. Here's our response.
  • Blog

President Obama’s Change to Cuban Migration Policy, Explained

January 13, 2017

On January 12, the White House announced the end of the “wet-foot, dry-foot” policy towards Cuban migrants. Effective immediately, Cubans who attempt to enter the U.S. unauthorized will be treated...

  • Blog

Bill to Protect DACA Recipients Reintroduced in Congress

January 12, 2017

Bipartisan legislation was introduced today in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate called The Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy (BRIDGE) Act, which would...

  • Blog

Who Will Pay for Donald Trump’s Border Wall?

January 10, 2017

President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to build a wall along the U.S-Mexico border took a step forward last week as Congressional Republicans discussed ways to get funding for the structure through...

  • Blog

Five Things to Look for on Immigration in the 115th Congress

January 9, 2017

When President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in later this month, for the first time in a decade, the Republican Party will have control of the House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and the...

  • Blog

Congress Keeps Government Open Until April, Reauthorizes Key Immigration Programs

December 13, 2016

Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) last week that continues the funding needed to keep the federal government open and running at current levels, but only through April 28, 2017....

Most Read

  • Publications
  • Blog Posts
  • Past:
  • Trending