Doris Meissner
Doris Meissner, former Commissioner of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), is a Senior Fellow at MPI, where she directs the Institute’s U.S. immigration policy work.
Her responsibilities focus in particular on the role of immigration in America’s future and on administering the nation’s immigration laws, systems, and government agencies. Her work and expertise also include immigration and politics, immigration enforcement, border control, cooperation with other countries, and immigration and national security. She has authored and coauthored numerous reports, articles, and op-eds and is frequently quoted in the media. She served as Director of MPI's Independent Task Force on Immigration and America's Future, a bipartisan group of distinguished leaders. The group's report and recommendations address how to harness the advantages of immigration for a 21st century economy and society.
From 1993-2000, she served in the Clinton administration as Commissioner of the INS, then a bureau in the U.S. Department of Justice. Her accomplishments included reforming the nation's asylum system; creating new strategies for managing U.S. borders; improving naturalization and other services for immigrants; shaping new responses to migration and humanitarian emergencies; strengthening cooperation and joint initiatives with Mexico, Canada, and other countries; and managing growth that doubled the agency’s personnel and tripled its budget.
She first joined the Justice Department in 1973 as a White House Fellow and Special Assistant to the Attorney General. She served in various senior policy posts until 1981, when she became Acting Commissioner of the INS and then Executive Associate Commissioner, the third-ranking post in the agency. In 1986, she joined the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace as a Senior Associate. Ms. Meissner created the Endowment's Immigration Policy Project, which evolved into the Migration Policy Institute in 2001.
Ms. Meissner is Vice Chair of the board of trustees of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Inter-American Dialogue, the Pacific Council on International Diplomacy, the National Academy of Public Administration, the Administrative Conference of the United States, and the Constitution Society.
- Media Inquiries
-
Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]
Explore Content by Doris Meissner
Showing 31-40 of 86 total results
What Is Immigration Policy Expected to Look Like in a Biden Administration?
What would Biden’s immigration agenda mean for asylum, enforcement, and legal pathways?
At the Starting Gate: The Incoming Biden Administration’s Immigration Plans
This brief maps immigration challenges and opportunities facing the incoming Biden administration in enforcement, asylum, legalization, and regional cooperation.
Rethinking the U.S.-Mexico Border Immigration Enforcement System: A Policy Road Map
This road map urges restructuring U.S.-Mexico border enforcement into an enduring function, marrying effective border security with fair, humane enforcement and increased cooperation.
USCIS Budget Implosion Owes to Far More than the Pandemic
Citing coronavirus-related disruptions, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services urged Congress to provide $1.2 billion to address its severe budget shortfall. Without this emergency infusion, the agency warned it might have to furlough up to 80 percent of its staff by mid-July 2020. Yet a deeper look at USCIS operations shows it was facing serious budget problems long before the pandemic—ones that are the logical results of actions undertaken by the Trump administration.
USCIS Fee Increase Proposed Rule Could Represent the Latest Step in Reshaping Immigration to United States
While much attention has been given to the move by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to raise its application fees—including an 83 percent hike to apply for U.S. citizenship—the policy changes embedded in the proposed rule have been less scrutinized. The changes, including the elimination of most fee waivers for lower-income applicants, would likely reduce the number and shift the profile of those getting a green card or other immigration status.
From Control to Crisis: Changing Trends and Policies Reshaping U.S.-Mexico Border Enforcement
Punitive enforcement-only measures failed to stem record flows of Central American families at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2019, underscoring the need for a new approach.
Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy: New Realities Call for New Answers
This policy brief underscores the need for an evidence-driven overhaul of U.S. policy to treat immigration as a strategic national resource and comparative advantage.
Eight Key U.S. Immigration Policy Issues: State of Play and Unanswered Questions
This review maps eight pressing U.S. immigration issues where Congress faces key unanswered questions, including border security, refugee admissions, and H-1B reform.
Policy Solutions to Address Crisis at Border Exist, But Require Will and Staying Power to Execute
A range of policy responses would more effectively address the complex factors fueling Central American migration than closing the U.S.-Mexico border and cutting off aid to Central America.
A Wall Cannot Fix Problems at Border; Smart Solutions for Asylum Crisis Can
Rather than spend $5.7 billion on a wall, it would be far more effective to use the money to retool an overwhelmed U.S. asylum system and tackle the factors propelling Central Americans to flee.
