Immigration Reform

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. 

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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. 

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All Immigration Reform Content

  • Special Report

Overhauling Immigration Law: A Brief History and Basic Principles of Reform

Publication Date: 
February 14, 2013
For more than a decade, efforts to systematically overhaul the United States immigration system have been overshadowed by other events—from foreign wars and national security concerns to the...
  • Fact Sheet

The Dividends of Citizenship: Why Legalization Must Lead to Citizenship

Publication Date: 
February 7, 2013
The most concrete proposals for immigration reform thus far in 2013 include earned legalization with a path to U.S. citizenship for unauthorized immigrants already living in the United States. This...
  • Special Report

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

Publication Date: 
January 31, 2013
While there are many facets to an intelligent immigration reform package, one thing is clear: legalization for undocumented immigrants helps all of us. Most economists recognize that legalization...
  • Special Report

Economic Progress via Legalization: Lessons from the Last Legalization Program

Publication Date: 
January 31, 2013
The data analyzed in this report indicates that unauthorized immigrants who gained legal status in the 1980s through the legalization provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)...
  • Fact Sheet

Economic Benefits of Granting Deferred Action to Unauthorized Immigrants Brought to U.S. as Youth

Publication Date: 
June 22, 2012
There are an estimated 1.4 million children and young adults in the United States who might benefit from President Obama’s...
  • Fact Sheet

A Comparison of the DREAM Act and Other Proposals for Undocumented Youth

Publication Date: 
June 5, 2012
Each year, approximately 65,000 undocumented students graduate from American high schools. While many hope to pursue higher education, join the military, or enter the workforce, their lack of legal...
  • Special Report

Latinos in North Carolina: A Growing Part of the State's Economic and Social Landscape

Publication Date: 
March 21, 2012
North Carolina has become a hub of Latino migration to the South. While many think this migration came suddenly, North Carolina has, in fact, been welcoming and integrating Mexican and other Latino...
  • Fact Sheet

Bad for Business: How Alabama’s Anti-Immigrant Law Stifles State Economy

Publication Date: 
November 9, 2011
Although key provisions of Alabama’s HB 56 are on hold while its constitutionality is being tested in the courts, evidence is mounting of the growing fiscal and economic impact of the new law. State...
  • Fact Sheet

Rebooting the American Dream: The Role of Immigration in a 21st Century Economy

Publication Date: 
November 8, 2011
There is plenty of evidence that immigration helps to fuel the U.S. economy, just as it has...
  • Fact Sheet

Checklist for Estimating the Costs of SB 1070-Style Legislation

Publication Date: 
November 8, 2011
(Updated November 2011) - Arizona’s infamous anti-immigrant law, SB 1070, has spawned many imitators. In a growing number of state houses around the country, bills have been passed or...
  • Blog

With Congress Gridlocked on Immigration, State Lawmakers Step in to Support Their Residents

April 29, 2020

In recent years, states have increasingly embraced their role in immigration by exploring and enacting policies and positions to address the needs of their communities. States are doing what they...

  • Blog

What You Need to Know About President Trump’s Latest Ban on Immigration

April 23, 2020

At a time when our country is united in the fight against the coronavirus, President Trump is seeking to divide us by turning to a familiar target—immigrants. The president first threatened a full...

  • Blog

Coronavirus Relief Package Fails to Provide Aid to Millions of Immigrants, Including Many on the Front Lines

March 27, 2020

President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) on Friday, March 27. The $2 trillion stimulus package goes a long way to improve our response to the COVID...

  • Blog

Trump Administration Begins Sending Asylum Seekers to Guatemala

November 20, 2019

In yet another major blow to America’s asylum system, on Wednesday the Trump administration reportedly began sending some asylum seekers from Honduras and El Salvador to Guatemala rather than...

  • Blog

Trump Moves Forward With Seizing Private Land for Border Wall, Offers Landowners $100 for ‘Irrevocable’ Access

November 19, 2019

The Trump administration is preparing to seize private land in Texas to continue construction of the president’s long-promised border wall. According to government officials familiar with the...

  • Blog

The Supreme Court Heard a Major Case on DACA. Here’s What You Need to Know.

November 13, 2019

The Supreme Court heard arguments on November 12 in three cases challenging President Trump’s attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. The Court’s...

  • Blog

What Is Next for Trump’s Health Care Ban?

November 4, 2019

A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s health care ban on Saturday, one day before it was scheduled to go into effect. The ban would have barred entry for any prospective...

  • Blog

What Is Happening with Trump’s Border Wall? Here’s Everything You Need to Know So Far

October 18, 2019

President Trump has made the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border a cornerstone of his presidency. To date, not a single mile of new barriers has been erected. But the Trump...

  • Blog

“Public Charge” Rule Blocked Days Before Going Into Effect

October 14, 2019

The Trump administration suffered another immigration blow in court last Friday. The new “public charge” rule set to go into effect Tuesday, October 15, was blocked in three separate rulings by...

  • Blog

How Trump’s New Healthcare Ban Threatens the Legal Immigration System

October 9, 2019

President Trump invoked the same legal authority used for the Travel Ban to impose a sweeping new ban on legal immigration last week. Under the new ban, which analysis suggests could block as much...

  • Press Release

Senate Judiciary Committee Votes to Pass Immigration Bill on to Full Senate

May 21, 2013

Mark-Up Characterized by Transparency and Bipartisan Cooperation

  • Press Release

Legalizing 11 Million Aspiring Americans

May 20, 2013

Washington D.C. - Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee continues mark-up of S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act.

  • Press Release

Bringing Fairness to the Immigration Justice System

May 15, 2013

Washington D.C. - Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee continues mark-up of S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act.

  • Press Release

Senate Legislative Process Must Maintain Spirit of Compromise

May 9, 2013

Washington D.C. - Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee begins “mark-up” of S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act.

  • Press Release

Bloated Estimate of Legalization Costs Ignores Immigration Reform's Broader Economic Benefits

May 6, 2013

Washington D.C.

  • Press Release

President Obama Provides Moral Imperative for Immigration Reform

January 29, 2013

Washington D.C.

  • Press Release

The American Immigration Council Welcomes Senate's Bipartisan Principles on Immigration Reform

January 28, 2013

Washington D.C.

  • Press Release

Senators Reintroduce the DREAM Act

May 11, 2012

Washington, D.C. - Today, Senators Richard Durbin, Harry Reid, and Robert Menendez re-introduced the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Ac

  • Press Release

More Fear and Loathing in the House Judiciary Committee

July 13, 2011

Washington, D.C. – Tomorrow, the House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to take up two immigration bills that supposedly address community safety,

  • Press Release

Once Again, Congress Pursues Costly E-Verify Legislation to the Peril of U.S. Economy

June 14, 2011

Washington D.C. - On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement will hold a hearing on the “Legal Workforce Act,” another en

  • Fact Sheet

Legalization Through 245(i)

Publication Date: 
August 2, 2021
This fact sheet from the Council provides an overview of how current immigration law allows certain undocumented immigrants to become Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) without first having to leave...
  • Letters

Council Urges Biden Administration to Ensure All Immigrant Visas are Processed

Publication Date: 
July 21, 2021
The Council led a letter urging the Biden administration to ensure that all immigrant visas are processed up to the numerical limits by September 30, 2021 to avoid the loss of visas and further...
  • Blog

Biden Administration Commits to Returning Deported Veterans

July 8, 2021

Since the founding of the United States, immigrants have served in the U.S. military. In recognition of the sacrifices involved in military service, the federal government has provided an...

  • Blog

Congress Proposes Legislation to Expedite and Expand Special Immigrant Visas for Afghan Allies

June 22, 2021

As military troops withdraw from Afghanistan, Afghan nationals that supported the operations of the U.S. government—as translators and other vital roles—are in danger of violent retribution from...

  • Blog

Biden Signals Big Changes to Legal Immigration and Asylum Law with Spring Regulatory Agenda

June 16, 2021

Twice each year, the federal government publishes a “regulatory agenda,” a preview of all the proposals that are in the pipeline to become federal regulations. Last week, the Biden administration...

  • Press Release

Returning to Our Humanitarian Obligations, AG Garland Restores Protections for Many Asylum Seekers

June 16, 2021
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced today that he is restoring a vital lifeline to victims of severe domestic violence, gang violence, and violence on account of family relationships.
  • Blog

DACA Has Allowed Me to Pursue Education, But We Need A Permanent Solution Now

June 15, 2021

My name is Hali Calzadillas-Andujo and I’m originally from Chihuahua, Mexico. I first came to the United States with my mother and siblings when I was eight years old. I didn’t even know what it...

  • Special Report

Tracking the Biden Agenda on Immigration Enforcement

Publication Date: 
May 20, 2021
This report analyzes the Biden administration's 100 days progress in reforming immigration enforcement and recommendations for how to best move forward.
  • Letters

Council and Broad Coalition Urge Department of Homeland Security to Withdraw Records Destruction Plans

Publication Date: 
May 3, 2021
In this letter, the Council and a diverse coalition call on the Biden administration to stop and reevaluate plans to destroy immigration agency records documenting abuse and misconduct.
  • Special Report

Tracking the Biden Agenda on Legal Immigration in the First 100 Days

Publication Date: 
April 29, 2021
This report analyzes the most significant changes to the legal immigration system made by the Biden administration during its first 100 days in office, and makes recommendations to foster a fair and...

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