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El control migratorio en los Estados Unidos se lleva a cabo en sus fronteras, así como en el interior del país. Esta guía informática tiene respuestas a preguntas comunes sobre la función del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés) de EE. UU., en la identificación de personas para arresto, detención, y deportación a través del sistema de justicia penal y las operaciones en lugares de trabajo y dentro de comunidades estadounidenses.
Immigration enforcement takes place both at U.S. borders and in the nation’s interior. This explainer answers common questions about how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement works within the U.S. interior, identifying people for arrest, detention, and removal through the criminal justice pipeline as well as through operations at worksites and within U.S. communities.
The question of whether immigration represents a net cost or a net benefit to the U.S. economy has been a major source of contention, even as the research literature and thinking among economists has been quite clear. A strong body of research and consensus by most economists finds that immigration, on balance, is a net positive for the U.S. economy. This explainer walks through the issues.
A significant and growing body of research at U.S., state, and local levels demonstrates that immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than the U.S.-born population. This explainer delves into the key takeaways and also looks at the screening process for new arrivals.
Other than refugees, noncitizens in the United States face significant restrictions on access to federally funded public benefits, including programs such as Medicaid, food stamps, and cash assistance programs. This is particularly the case for unauthorized immigrants, who except in very limited circumstances are barred from all federally funded public benefits, as our explainer details.
With immigration a central focus in U.S. public and policy conversations, it is useful to have a solid understanding of the foreign-born population. This explainer offers statistics on the immigrant population’s size, origins, places of U.S. settlement, and pathways of arrival. It also looks at legal statuses, which have been a topic of significant public interest and confusion. More than three-quarters of all immigrants in United States are here legally.
Are noncitizens voting in U.S. elections? What is the process for verifying that someone is eligible to vote? This explainer answers basic questions and addresses misconceptions about voting by unauthorized immigrants and other noncitizens—which audits by elections officials and independent research have demonstrated is extremely rare.
Through which visa categories can immigrants move temporarily or permanently to the United States? What are the main channels by which people come, and who can sponsor them for a green card? Are there limits on visa categories? And who is waiting in the green-card backlog? This explainer answers basic questions about temporary and permanent immigration via family, employment, humanitarian, and other channels.
How has the size of the unauthorized population in the United States changed over time? How is illegal immigration changing, and where do unauthorized immigrants come from? This explainer answers basic questions about illegal immigration, the changing patterns from Mexico, and more.
Who is an immigrant? Does that status change if, for example, a foreigner marries a native-born resident or serves in his or her adopted country's military? This explainer answers basic questions about international migrants—who they are, their top destinations, where they come from, how they are counted, and more.