Brookings Immigration Series
Reforming U.S. immigration policy has been a subject of intense debate and promises to be so again in the new political climate—with Barack Obama as president and Democrats in the majority in both houses of Congress. This series presents the work of experts from a variety of fields at Brookings and is designed to inform the public debate and stimulate new thinking on immigration policy.
July 2009
There is broad agreement that the nation needs to overhaul its immigration policies, but how to change national policy is shaping up to be a major debate. Sketching the policy outlook for immigration reform, William Galston divides the problem into the specific issues that new immigration legislation must confront: overall level of new legal permanent residents to be admitted; the role of family reunification; employment and skills; making the new law responsive to economic change; enforcement; coping with past policy failures, and integrating the new arrivals.
July 2009
New federal policies on immigration will require a new narrative, bold and innovative ideas and a determination to overcome major obstacles to action. Darrell West and Thomas Mann offer a forecast for immigration reform in the new political climate as the nation’s growing Latino factor and some recent shifts in immigration positions suggest that forging a new policy is possible. However, the topic still evokes economic, social, political and cultural obstacles that must be overcome if congressional reform is going to effective.
July 2009
New trends in immigration are changing communities across the United States. In describing the new geography of U.S. immigration, the restructuring of the U.S. economy, and the accompanying decentralization of cities and growth of suburbs as major employment centers, immigrant settlements have shifted to a new class of metropolitan areas, writes Audrey Singer. As a result, recent trends in immigration have placed a higher stake in the passage of federal immigration reform for states and municipalities.
July 2009
The Obama administration announced plans to restructure how immigrants—most of whom have no criminal records—are detained. Immigration presents courts and administrative agencies tremendous challenges due to a lack of consensus and resources for total enforcement of laws governing entry to and status in the country. Russell Wheeler has explained why crafting better policies for institutions most responsible for enforcing the laws fairly should be part of the broader immigration reform effort.