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

In the absence of federal legislation, the locus for policy action increasingly resides in the executive branch, intensifying the need for administrative policies, programs, and procedures that are effective and fair in advancing the core goals of the nation’s immigration system: promoting family unity; meeting legitimate labor market needs; offering protection from persecution; and awarding U.S. citizenship as an important step toward full incorporation into U.S. society. Achieving these goals depends on effective immigration enforcement that ensures border and national security, economic competitiveness, community safety, and a level playing field for American workers.