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

Fact Sheet
Temporary Protected Status: An Overview

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.

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All Immigration 101 Content

  • Fact Sheet

Documented Dreamers: An Overview

Publication Date: 
August 20, 2021
This fact sheet provides an overview of Documented Dreamers, explains how they can age out of immigration status at 21, and summarizes the current federal legislative proposals to protect them from...
  • 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...
  • Fact Sheet

Employment-Based Visa Categories in the United States

Publication Date: 
July 8, 2021
Current U.S. immigration law provides several paths for foreign workers to enter the United States for employment purposes on a temporary or permanent basis. This fact sheet provides basic...
  • Fact Sheet

Aggravated Felonies: An Overview

Publication Date: 
March 16, 2021
This fact sheet provides an overview of “aggravated felonies” under federal immigration law and the immigration consequences of being convicted of an “aggravated felony.”
  • Special Report

What Immigration Issues Do Americans Hold Sacred?

Publication Date: 
February 18, 2021
Understanding how deeply we hold our immigration stances may matter as much as what our stances are.
  • Fact Sheet

The Difference Between Asylum and Withholding of Removal

Publication Date: 
October 6, 2020
This fact sheet provides an overview of withholding of removal, including the basics of seeking protection in the United States, eligibility requirements, the application process, and data on...
  • Fact Sheet

The Exchange Visitor Program and J-1 Visas

Publication Date: 
June 18, 2020
The Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) initially brought scholars to the United States to teach or conduct research. Today, there are 14 categories of programs through which EVP participants can teach,...
  • Special Report

Changing Patterns of Interior Immigration Enforcement in the United States, 2016 -2018

Publication Date: 
July 1, 2019
To better understand the changing interior enforcement trends under the Trump administration, this report analyzes individual-level data on immigration enforcement outcomes.
  • Special Report

The Immigrant Success Story

Publication Date: 
June 11, 2018
Some confusion exists regarding the economic aspects of family-based immigration. To help unpack those aspects, this report focuses on one of them—namely, the earnings of family-based immigrants.
  • Fact Sheet

The End of Immigration Enforcement Priorities Under the Trump Administration

Publication Date: 
March 7, 2018
Enforcement of U.S. immigration laws has historically been guided by policies that emphasize prioritization. However, this practice has largely been abandoned since the inauguration of President...
  • Blog

USCIS Finalizes Increase in Fees for Immigration-Related Applications

February 9, 2024

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) finalized its long-awaited fee rule on January 31, which impacts the filing costs for almost all the agency’s applications. The new fees will take...

  • Blog

Data Snapshot: The Number of Black Immigrants in the US Continues to Rise

February 9, 2024

By Karen Aho and Quinn Bankson Black immigrants not only contribute to America’s rich political and cultural history—think rapper Wyclef Jean, U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, or basketball’s Hakeem...

  • Blog

200 Immigration-Related Bills Have Already Been Introduced in State Legislatures in 2024

January 26, 2024

Amid inaction from the federal government on immigration policy and growing calls for action from localities, some state legislatures are taking a proactive role in welcoming immigrants and...

  • Blog

Naturalization Helps Immigrants and the United States Reach Full Potential

January 19, 2024

By Karen Aho, Consultant and Anna Shepperson, Research Associate When Sri Lankan business analyst Dinesh Prabaharan became a U.S. citizen in December of 2023, he expressed his gratitude at finally...

  • Blog

State Department Extends Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Waivers Indefinitely

January 11, 2024

The State Department announced an update to its discretionary interview waiver policy for nonimmigrant visa applicants on December 21, 2023. It replaces the temporary policies in place for almost...

  • Blog

States Facing Worker Shortages Are Helping Migrants Secure Employment with New Resource Clinics

December 8, 2023

Many migrants, after being released from government custody, resettle in interior communities. These individuals and families often need immediate support in the form of housing, food, and...

  • Blog

Lawsuits Prompt Immigration Agencies to Publish Critical Documents in Their FOIA Libraries

December 1, 2023

Last September, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agreed to publish past versions of the Department of Homeland Security’s Privacy Impact Assessments on CBP One, the app that allows asylum...

  • Blog

Map the Impact: Immigrants Make Up Over 18% of the Total US Population Growth

November 13, 2023

Written by Robin Lundh, Research Manager and Anna Shepperson, Research Associate. Immigration—long central to the American experience—has dominated news coverage in recent years. Between 2016 and...

  • Blog

Department of Labor Report Highlights Severity of Child Labor in the US and Worldwide

November 2, 2023

The Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued its yearly Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor report, examining 131 countries’ efforts to abolish child labor in 2022 and the obstacles those...

  • Blog

Spotlight on the Changing Demographics of Hispanic Americans

September 28, 2023

By Karen Aho and Robin Lundh of the American Immigration Council Today, Hispanic Americans form the largest ethnic group in the United States. The value of Hispanic Americans to the makeup of the...

  • Press Release

Reality at the U.S. Mexico Border

June 8, 2010

Washington D.C. - On Monday, the Immigration Policy Center (IPC) hosted a teleconference with border and national-security experts who diss

  • Press Release

U.S. Border Enforcement Prioritizes Non-Violent Migrants Over Dangerous Criminals

May 20, 2010

Washington D.C. - The Mexican President's visit to the United States allowed both he and President Obama to address the important issues of immigration, border con

  • Press Release

The Folly of Repealing Birthright Citizenship

March 30, 2010

Washington D.C. - This Sunday, the editorial pages of the Washington Post included a

  • Blog

Congress Expands Warrantless Surveillance of Immigrants Traveling to the US

April 26, 2024

On April 19, forty minutes after the ostensible deadline to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), Congress passed H.R. 7888, the Reforming Intelligence and...

  • Blog

Data Snapshot: Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants

April 23, 2024

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently announced its revision of the race and ethnicity question on federal surveys, including the U.S. census, adding “Middle Eastern or...

  • Blog

Immigrants Contribute Billions to Federal and State Taxes Each Year

April 15, 2024

Without fail, each Tax Day a prevalent myth resurfaces that conceals the truth about immigrants’ contributions to federal, state, and local taxes. Bolstered by social media and other outlets, it...

  • Blog

FY 2024 Government Funding Package Is a Mixed-Bag on Immigration

April 9, 2024

President Biden signed the final 6-bill “minibus” funding package for fiscal year (FY) 2024 on March 23, which includes funding for the agencies that implement our immigration laws. This was the...

  • Press Release

New Report Shows Immigrants in Androscoggin County, Maine Paid Over $24 Million in Taxes and Held Over $74 Million in Spending Power in 2019

April 4, 2024
Immigrants play a crucial role in the labor force in southern Maine, according to data in a new report.
  • Blog

Differences in State Sunshine Laws Can Threaten Transparency Around Immigration Detention and Enforcement

March 15, 2024

By Tsion Gurmu, Legal Director at the Black Alliance for Just Immigration and Raul Pinto, Deputy Legal Director of Transparency The main way in which the public can access information about what...

  • Blog

On International Women’s Day, We Celebrate the Important Contributions of Immigrant Women in the American Workforce

March 8, 2024

Since its conception in 1977, International Women’s Day has evolved into a global celebration highlighting women’s achievements and the challenges they face. The holiday’s origins can be traced...

  • Advocacy

Testifying on the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement “Presidential Power to Secure the Border”

Publication Date: 
March 7, 2024
The American Immigration Council appeared before Congress to discuss the need for Congress to overhaul the asylum system.
  • Press Release

New Report Shows Immigrants in Houston Paid Over $16 Billion in Taxes and Exceeded $50 Billion in Spending Power in 2021

February 26, 2024
A new research report by the American Immigration Council underscores the crucial role immigrants play in the Houston area’s economy, finding that immigrants paid $16 billion in taxes and exceeded $50 billion in spending power in 2021.
  • Blog

USCIS Reduces Its Backlog for the First Time in Years

February 16, 2024

On February 9, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released data about its progress toward meeting its strategic goals in fiscal year (FY) 2023. For the first time in years, the...

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