U.S. Immigration Reform

Filter by

Steps to Fix the U.S. Immigration System: What Can the Administration Do?

MPI report release with authors MPI's Donald Kerwin, Margie McHugh, and Doris Meissner who engage in a discussion with Eva Millona, Executive Director, Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition; and Juan P. Osuna, Acting Director, Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Department of Justice, on what the U.S. administration can do to fix immigration policy absent congressional action.

Executive Action on Immigration: Six Ways to Make the System Work Better

Six executive actions could improve U.S. border control, integration, legal admissions, and fairness in enforcement without new laws.

E-Verify: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Proposals for Reform

E-Verify’s gains in speed and coverage are undercut by data errors, identity fraud, and gaps in worker protections.

Earned Legalization: Effects of Proposed Requirements on Unauthorized Men, Women, and Children

The brief models how common requirements in U.S. earned legalization plans, English skills, steady work, long-term U.S. residence, and monetary fines, would affect who qualifies.

Immigrant Legalization in the United States and European Union: Policy Goals and Program Design

Since the 1980s, legalization has given legal status to 3.5 million U.S. and 5 million EU immigrants; inclusive program designs prove more cost effective than restrictive ones.

More than IRCA: U.S. Legalization Programs and the Current Policy Debate

A century of U.S. registry and population‑specific legalization programs shows that the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) was just one piece of the puzzle.

Structuring and Implementing an Immigrant Legalization Program: Registration as the First Step

An initial registration phase is central to successful legalization, allowing authorities to identify applicants and manage risks at scale.

DREAM vs. Reality: An Analysis of Potential DREAM Act Beneficiaries

Roughly 2.1 million people could qualify under the 2010 DREAM Act, but only about 825,000 would be likely to obtain permanent legal status.

7th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference

The conference focused on Current Topics in Immigration Law and Policy; Reforming the U.S. Immigration Court System; Humanitarian Relief, Access to Protection, and U.S. Asylum Policies; and Enforcement of Immigration Law. Eric P. Schwartz, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, U.S. Department of State spoke on U.S. policy on international migration.