Sarah Pierce
Sarah Pierce was a Policy Analyst for the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at MPI, focusing on U.S. legal immigration processes and actors, the employment-based immigration system, and unaccompanied child migrants.
Prior to joining MPI, Ms. Pierce practiced immigration law with a Chicago-based law firm, appearing before the immigration court, Board of Immigration Appeals, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and U.S. consulate offices abroad. She also worked for and volunteered with a number of nonprofit organizations and government entities, including Human Rights Watch, the National Immigrant Justice Center, and the U.S. Department of Labor.
Ms. Pierce holds a master of arts in international affairs from the George Washington University, with a focus on migration and development. She also holds a J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law and a B.A. from Grinnell College.
Explore Content by Sarah Pierce
Showing 41-50 of 61 total results
Differing DREAMs: Estimating the Unauthorized Populations That Could Benefit under Different Legalization Bills
The five DREAM Act-type bills introduced in 2017 differed sharply in scope, with MPI estimating eligible pools ranging from 2 million to 3.6 million, depending on each bill's requirements.
Texas Leads Resurgence in Restrictive State Actions on Immigration Enforcement
Texas's 2017 Senate Bill 4, requiring local law enforcement to cooperate with immigration authorities, revived a wave of state-level activity.
Despite Little Action Yet by Trump Administration on Sanctuary Cities, States and Localities Rush to Respond to Rhetoric
While the Trump administration had taken no concrete steps to penalize “sanctuary” cities as of April 2017, jurisdictions rushed to set immigration policies of their own.
The First 100 Days: Summary of Major Immigration Actions Taken by the Trump Administration
The first 100 days in President Donald Trump’s first term brought sweeping executive orders on travel bans, refugee admissions, enforcement, and work visas.
Muscular Public Relations Strategy to Paint Immigrants and Immigration as Negatives Embedded Deep Within Trump Executive Orders
Executive orders issued during the first Trump term launched a reporting machinery designed to churn out for the U.S. public statistics on the costs and threats of immigration.
Revised Trump Executive Order and Guidance on Refugee Resettlement and Travel Ban
A revised March 2017 Trump travel ban and suspension of refugee resettlement dropped the minority-religion refugee provision to reduce the executive order’s legal vulnerability.
The Revised Trump Travel Ban: Who Might Be Affected from the Six Targeted Countries?
President Donald Trump's March 2017 revised travel ban bars nationals of six countries and cuts refugee admissions to 50,000, with no parallel in recent U.S. immigration history.
Judge’s Pause of Trump Travel Ban Takes Page from Republican Challenge to Obama Executive Action on DACA
A court’s pause of the travel ban implemented during the first Trump term drew on the playbook of challenges to the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Trump Executive Order and DHS Guidance on Interior Enforcement: A Brief Review
President Trump's January 2017 executive order ends targeted prosecutorial discretion, revives Secure Communities, expands 287(g) enforcement, and targets “sanctuary city” funding.
Trump Executive Order on Refugees and Travel Ban: A Brief Review
A January 2017 Trump executive order suspending the U.S. refugee resettlement program and imposing a travel ban on seven countries was immediately challenged in court and later replaced.
