Immigration 101

The U.S. immigration system is complex and can be difficult to understand. These resources provide key data points, historical information, and background on hot topics in immigration. Learn the basics about immigration.

Recent Features

Why Don’t Immigrants Apply for Citizenship?

There is no line available for undocumented immigrants and the “regular channels” do not include them.

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Fact Sheet
Temporary Protected Status: An Overview

This fact sheet provides an overview of how Temporary Protected Status designations are made, what benefits TPS confers, and how TPS beneficiaries apply for and regularly renew their status.

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How the United States Immigration System Works

U.S. immigration law is very complex. Here's basic information about how the U.S. legal immigration system is designed.

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All Immigration 101 Content

  • Blog

Massachusetts’ Highest Court Declares Immigration Detainers Are Unenforceable

July 28, 2017

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a unanimous decision on Monday holding that Massachusetts court officers may not arrest and detain immigrants based solely on a detainer. Although...

  • Blog

Groups Sue U.S. Government for Turning Away Asylum Seekers

July 12, 2017

Men, women, and children fleeing persecution, grave violence, and even death arrive daily at Ports of Entry (POE) all along the U.S.-Mexico border and present themselves to U.S. Customs and Border...

  • Blog

Pentagon May Deport Immigrants Who Have Served in the Military

July 11, 2017

The Pentagon is considering halting a program that allows immigrants with urgently needed skills to serve in the military, putting the thousands of soldiers promised expedited citizenship in...

  • Blog

Ending Deportation Priorities Breaks Away from Decades of History and Sound Policy

July 10, 2017

A recent story from ProPublica has revealed an internal February 2017 memorandum authored by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to its employees about the implementation of recent Executive...

  • Blog

How to Get the Immigration System in Line With Our Nation’s Values and Interests

June 27, 2017

Over the past two decades, much of the immigration policy debate has focused on issues related to immigration enforcement. In fact, many argue that “enforcement first”—the notion that we must...

  • Blog

This Year’s Celebrate America Creative Writing Contest Winning Entry

June 23, 2017

The American Immigration Council is proud to announce the winner of the 20th Annual Celebrate America Fifth Grade Creative Writing Contest. This contest encourages educators to incorporate lessons...

  • Blog

Know Your Rights in Texas: Preparing for State’s New Anti-Immigrant Law SB4

June 12, 2017

After debate rocked the Texas State Capitol, Governor Greg Abbott signed the controversial Senate Bill 4 (SB4) in May, which purports to ban sanctuary city policies and gives local police the...

  • Blog

How Many People Overstay Their Visas? Not Even the Government Knows

May 30, 2017

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials unveiled their newest “overstay” estimates—the number of people from other countries who remain in the United States after their visas expire—at a...

  • Blog

Say It With Me: Undocumented Immigrants Pay Taxes

April 17, 2017

Each year, undocumented immigrants file their tax returns, just like all Americans. They pay federal, state, and local taxes, in addition to income, property, and sales taxes. However, there are...

  • Blog

It’s Not up for Debate: Immigrants Invigorate the Economy

March 30, 2017

As any reputable economist will tell you, immigrants contribute to the U.S. economy in many ways. Yet the often subtle complexities of immigration economics are largely absent from a March 24...

  • Blog

New Diversity Visa Requirements Impose Major Obstacles for Applicants

June 13, 2019

The U.S. State Department announced a new rule last week that changes the Diversity Visa Program, a lottery system that grants 50,000 foreign nationals the opportunity to apply for an immigrant...

  • Blog

USCIS Processing Delays to be Investigated by Government Accountability Office

June 7, 2019

Applications for permanent residence and other immigration benefits are taking longer than ever to process. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency responsible for...

  • Blog

The Trump Administration Continues to Attack Low-Income Immigrants

May 30, 2019

The post The Trump Administration Continues to Attack Low-Income Immigrants appeared first on...

  • Blog

Immigration Hardliner Kenneth Cuccinelli to Replace Cissna at USCIS

May 28, 2019

The post Immigration Hardliner Kenneth Cuccinelli to Replace Cissna at USCIS appeared first on...

  • Blog

U.S. Policies Make It Harder for Mexican Graduates to Participate Fully in the Workforce

May 24, 2019

The post U.S. Policies Make It Harder for Mexican Graduates to Participate Fully in the...

  • Blog

Serving Our Country Is No Longer a Way for Immigrant Soldiers to Gain Citizenship

May 22, 2019

The post Serving Our Country Is No Longer a Way for Immigrant Soldiers to Gain...

  • Blog

White House’s Misguided Immigration Reform Plan Is Set for Failure

May 17, 2019
  • Blog

How Has Immigration Changed in the Last 100 Years?

May 8, 2019

Each new generation of immigrants to the United States has, in time, achieved a high degree of integration into U.S. society. Whether it was immigrants from southern and eastern Europe a century...

  • Press Release

How Personal Values and Contact Impact Views on Unauthorized Immigrants

April 30, 2019
A new report by the American Immigration Council finds that Americans’ attitudes toward unauthorized immigrants are, among other factors, deeply related to their personal values and to the type of contact they have with immigrants in their daily lives.
  • Special Report

The Role of Contact and Values in Public Attitudes Toward Unauthorized Immigrants

Publication Date: 
April 30, 2019
This report uncovers the degree to which contact with immigrants and personal values are associated with views about unauthorized immigrants.

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