Immigration Policy in the United States

This chapter provides a primer on United States immigration policy. It discusses legal admissions policies, border security policies, interior immigration enforcement policies, and immigrant integration policies. The discussion of legal admissions policies focuses on family-based immigration, employment-based immigration, humanitarian immigration (i.e., refugees), temporary H1-B visas (skilled workers), and temporary H2-A visas (agricultural workers). The discussion of border security policies focuses on the origins and the evolution of the powers and the authority of the Border Patrol agency, Operation Gatekeeper, border fencing, and the efficacy of border patrol operations. The discussion of interior immigration enforcement policies focuses on worksite enforcement (i.e., workplace raids), E-Verify, local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement officials, immigration detention, and deportation. The discussion of immigrant integration policies focuses on English-only legislation, birthright citizenship legislation, a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and President Obama’s executive actions on immigration.