State and Local

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

  • Blog

Does Pushing Undocumented Immigrants out of a State Help or Hurt the Local Economy?

This highlights a key policy choice states must make: is it better to have a growing economy with lower unemployment overall or marginally higher wages among a small group of workers?

  • Fact Sheet

Experience from states that have passed anti-immigration measures shows that the these laws can hinder prospects for economic growth, and the costs of implementing, defending, and enforcing these laws can cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

READ MORE

All State and Local Content

  • Fact Sheet

New Americans in Utah

Publication Date: 
May 3, 2022
This research brief highlights the key role that new Americans are playing in Utah as participants in the state’s workforce, taxpayers, consumers, entrepreneurs, international students, and more.
  • 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.
  • Fact Sheet

Bad for Business: How Anti-Immigration Legislation Drains Budgets and Damages States’ Economies

Publication Date: 
June 4, 2012
This session, state legislatures are once again considering harsh immigration-control laws. These laws are intended to make everyday life so difficult for unauthorized immigrants that they will...
  • Fact Sheet

What Arizona v. United States May Mean for States with Similar Immigration Laws

Publication Date: 
April 17, 2012
In April, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Arizona v. United States, a case addressing the legality of the Arizona immigration law known as SB 1070. According to the statement...
  • Special Report

Q&A Guide to State Immigration Laws

Publication Date: 
February 16, 2012
What You Need to Know if Your State is Considering Anti-immigrant Legislation...
  • Special Report

Discrediting “Self Deportation” as Immigration Policy

Publication Date: 
February 6, 2012
By Michele Waslin The day that Alabama’s draconian anti-immigrant law...
  • 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

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...
  • Special Report

Turning Off the Water: How the Contracting and Transaction Provisions in Alabama's Immigration Law Make Life Harder

Publication Date: 
November 1, 2011
Turning Off the Water: How the Contracting and Transaction...
  • Research and Analysis

Revitalizing the Golden State

Publication Date: 
April 27, 2011
California is home to nearly 10 million immigrants, more than one quarter of the state’s population. Of those, 2.7 million are undocumented, and the vast majority of them have been living in the...
  • Litigation

Challenging Florida’s Unconstitutional Anti-Immigrant Law

This lawsuit, filed on behalf of several individuals and the Farmworker Association of Florida, challenges Section 10 of Florida’s new anti-immigrant law, Senate Bill 1718.
  • FOIA

FOIA Request Seeks Records Regarding Parole Guidance and Incorrect Addresses on CBP Documents After Migrants Flown to Martha's Vineyard

The requested records will shed light on CBP's practices with respect to granting and extending humanitarian parole and the agency's determinations regarding which addresses to include on immigration paperwork.
  • Blog

Lawsuit Challenging Texas’ Floating Barrier Raises Questions About Its Other Border Policies

August 1, 2023

The post Lawsuit Challenging Texas’ Floating Barrier Raises Questions About Its...

  • Blog

Lawsuit Challenges Florida Law Making It a Felony to Drive Certain Immigrants Into the State 

July 19, 2023

At the direction of Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida has made it a felony to transport a person into the state who hasn’t been inspected by immigration authorities. Effective July 1, driving a broad...

  • Blog

State Legislatures in Florida and Texas Propose and Enact Harmful Immigration Bills

June 2, 2023

Usurping the role of the federal government, state legislatures in Florida and Texas have proposed multiple harmful immigration bills during this year’s legislative session. Several Florida...

  • Blog

Florida Doubles Down with New Law Designed to Spend Millions to Relocate Migrants

March 3, 2023

Florida made headlines last year as it passed a law allowing Governor Ron DeSantis to spend up to 12 million dollars to transport migrants out of Florida. DeSantis used over $1 million of that...

  • Blog

Asylum Seekers Become Political Pawns in Governors’ Transportation Stunts

September 23, 2022

The Republican governors of Texas, Arizona, and now Florida are playing a cynical political game with the lives of migrants—including many asylum seekers fleeing persecution. Officials in these...

  • Blog

Florida’s Anti-Immigrant Bills Follow a Decade-Long Trend

March 11, 2022

The path toward commonsense federal immigration solutions seems to be continuing the cyclical and frustrating pattern of two steps forward, one step back. As soon as a measure is introduced—be it...

  • Blog

DHS Infringed on First Amendment Rights by Collecting Intel on Portland Protestors

October 6, 2021

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials improperly developed intelligence reports nicknamed “baseball cards” about individuals arrested in Portland, Oregon during the civil unrest...

  • Blog

With New Florida Lawsuit, States’ Efforts to Dictate Federal Immigration Policy Continue

September 30, 2021

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced a new lawsuit on Tuesday seeking an order requiring the Biden administration to detain almost all people arriving at the Southwest border. It is the latest...

  • Blog

California Law Would Prevent Transfers From Local Law Enforcement to ICE Custody

September 9, 2021

Proposed legislation in California that would further limit the state’s involvement in immigration detention has made progress toward becoming law. The VISION Act would prevent transfers to U.S....

  • Blog

TX Court Issues Stunning Order: US Government Can’t Set Priorities for Immigration Enforcement

August 20, 2021

Judge Drew Tipton of the Southern District of Texas on August 19 blocked a set of enforcement priorities the Biden administration had issued in January and February 2021 in an attempt to focus...

  • Press Release

Groups File Motion in Lawsuit to Block Florida’s Anti-Immigrant Law SB 1718

August 8, 2023
Legal organization filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to block Section 10 of Florida’s draconian anti-immigrant law, Senate Bill 1718.
  • Press Release

New Research Shows Immigrants Account for Nearly 13 Percent of Utah Physicians as Demand for Bilingual Workers Jumps 38.8 Percent

February 7, 2023
The American Immigration Council released new research, The Growing Demand for Healthcare Workers in Utah, which underscores the crucial role immigrants play in some of the state’s fastest growing and most in demand healthcare fields.
  • Press Release

New Research Reveals Changing Demographics in Foreign-Born Voters and Younger Voters in Swing States

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.
  • Press Release

New Research Shows Texas Immigrants Accounted for Over 20 Percent of Workforce Across Several Leading Industries

July 11, 2022
New research on released today by the American Immigration Council–in partnership with the Texas Association of Business and the Texas Business Leadership Council–underscores the crucial role immigrants in Texas play in some of the state’s fastest growing and most in demand fields.
  • Press Release

Federal Judge Enjoins Key Provisions of South Carolina’s Immigration Law

December 22, 2013

Washington, D.C.—The American Immigration Council welcomes today’s ruling from U.S. District Judge Richard M.

  • Press Release

Alabama’s Dangerous New Anti-Immigrant Law

September 29, 2011

Washington D.C.

  • Press Release

American Immigration Council Applauds DOJ for Responding to Alabama’s Punitive Anti-Immigrant Law

August 2, 2011

Washington, D.C. – On Monday, the Department of Justice

  • Press Release

Are States Training Law Enforcement to Implement Restrictive Immigration Laws?

June 24, 2011

Washington, D.C. - While many states legislatures rejected Arizona-style immigration laws this year in anticipation of high costs, legal challenges and charges of racial profiling,

  • Press Release

American Immigration Council Hails Decision Enjoining Enforcement of Arizona’s SB 1070

April 12, 2011

Washington, D.C - The American Immigration Council applauds yesterday’s decision of the U.S.

  • Press Release

A Rising Tide or a Shrinking Pie

March 24, 2011

Washington, D.C. - As Arizona approaches the one-year anniversary of the passage of SB 1070, the Immigration Policy Center and Center for American Progress

  • Press Release

Groups File Motion in Lawsuit to Block Florida’s Anti-Immigrant Law SB 1718

August 8, 2023
Legal organization filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to block Section 10 of Florida’s draconian anti-immigrant law, Senate Bill 1718.
  • Litigation

Challenging Florida’s Unconstitutional Anti-Immigrant Law

This lawsuit, filed on behalf of several individuals and the Farmworker Association of Florida, challenges Section 10 of Florida’s new anti-immigrant law, Senate Bill 1718.
  • Press Release

New Research Shows Immigrants Account for Nearly 13 Percent of Utah Physicians as Demand for Bilingual Workers Jumps 38.8 Percent

February 7, 2023
The American Immigration Council released new research, The Growing Demand for Healthcare Workers in Utah, which underscores the crucial role immigrants play in some of the state’s fastest growing and most in demand healthcare fields.
  • FOIA

FOIA Request Seeks Records Regarding Parole Guidance and Incorrect Addresses on CBP Documents After Migrants Flown to Martha's Vineyard

The requested records will shed light on CBP's practices with respect to granting and extending humanitarian parole and the agency's determinations regarding which addresses to include on immigration paperwork.
  • Press Release

New Research Reveals Changing Demographics in Foreign-Born Voters and Younger Voters in Swing States

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.
  • Press Release

New Research Shows Texas Immigrants Accounted for Over 20 Percent of Workforce Across Several Leading Industries

July 11, 2022
New research on released today by the American Immigration Council–in partnership with the Texas Association of Business and the Texas Business Leadership Council–underscores the crucial role immigrants in Texas play in some of the state’s fastest growing and most in demand fields.
  • Blog

Lawsuit Challenging Texas’ Floating Barrier Raises Questions About Its Other Border Policies

August 1, 2023

The post Lawsuit Challenging Texas’ Floating Barrier Raises Questions About Its...

  • Blog

Lawsuit Challenges Florida Law Making It a Felony to Drive Certain Immigrants Into the State 

July 19, 2023

At the direction of Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida has made it a felony to transport a person into the state who hasn’t been inspected by immigration authorities. Effective July 1, driving a broad...

  • Blog

State Legislatures in Florida and Texas Propose and Enact Harmful Immigration Bills

June 2, 2023

Usurping the role of the federal government, state legislatures in Florida and Texas have proposed multiple harmful immigration bills during this year’s legislative session. Several Florida...

  • Blog

Florida Doubles Down with New Law Designed to Spend Millions to Relocate Migrants

March 3, 2023

Florida made headlines last year as it passed a law allowing Governor Ron DeSantis to spend up to 12 million dollars to transport migrants out of Florida. DeSantis used over $1 million of that...

Most Read

  • Publications
  • Blog Posts
  • Past:
  • Trending