Immigration policy in Trump’s America

During his first eight months in office, President Trump has placed immigration at the forefront of his agenda. He has cracked down on undocumented immigrants, proposed stricter standards for admission to the U.S., presided over a surge in immigration arrests, and moved to end Deferred Action for Childhood Admissions (DACA). At the same time, many of his policies have faced significant legal and political resistance, leaving many Americans wondering what to expect next. Does the Department of Homeland Security have the resources, authority, and political will to carry out some of the president’s most controversial proposals? Will Congress take action on DACA in the next six months, as Trump has urged? And, most importantly, how will these policies—whether they are enacted fully, partially, or remain nothing more than campaign promises—alter the social fabric, the identity, and the economy of the United States?

On September 22, the Center for Effective Public Management at Brookings convened a panel of immigration and homeland security experts to discuss these issues. Panelists included President of the University of California and former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Senior Fellow at the Migration Policy Institute and former Commissioner of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service Doris Meissner, and UnidosUS Senior Policy Advisor Carlos Guevara.

Following the discussion, the panel took questions from the audience. This event was webcast live.