2000-present

Feb. 16, 2000 - AFL-CIO Labor Union Supports Amnesty for

Immigrants in the United States Illegally
"Millions of hard-working people who make enormous contributions to their communities and workplace
are denied basic human rights because of their undocumented status... The AFL-CIO supports a new
amnesty program that would allow these members of local communities to adjust their status to
permanent residents and become eligible for naturalization."
American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)

"The AFL-CIO Calls for Amnesty," AFL-CIO

Executive Council, Feb. 16, 2000

Nov. 9, 2000 - Bring Them Home Alive Act Grants Refugee Status to
Foreigners Who Return Living Vietnam or Korean War POWs or MIAs
"Directs the Attorney General to grant refugee status in the United States to any alien (and the parent,
spouse, or child of such alien) who: (1) is a national of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, China, or any of the
independent states of the former Soviet Union; and (2) personally delivers into U.S. custody a living
American Vietnam War POW or MIA.
Requires the granting of the same status to any alien (and parent, spouse, or child) who is a national of
North Korea, China, or any of the independent states of the former Soviet Union and who personally
delivers a living American Korean War POW or MIA."
Congressional Research Service (CRS)

"S.484 (106th): Bring Them Home Alive Act of 2000, Library of Congress Summary,"
www.govtrack.us (accessed Apr. 22, 2013)

Dec. 21, 2000 - Section 245(i) of the Legal Immigration Family Equity
(LIFE) Act Grants Legalization to Qualifying Immigrants in the US
Illegally
"Adjustment of status under Section 245(i) is one of several immigration benefit provisions created by the
Legal Immigration Family Equity Act and LIFE Act Amendments (LIFE Act) enacted on December 21,
2000... Section 245(i) allows certain persons who have an immigrant visa immediately available but
entered without inspection or otherwise violated their status and thus are ineligible to apply for adjustment
of status in the United Statesto apply if they pay a $1,000 penalty... This is an important benefit for
eligible individuals. Without Section 245(i), many individuals who entered illegally or violated their status
are restricted from filing for adjustment in the United States and must obtain their immigrant visas
overseas... The LIFE Act also... Creates a new temporary 'V' non-immigrant status to allow the spouses
and minor children of lawful permanent residents... to be admitted to and work in the United States while
they are waiting for a visa number."
U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ)

"INS Implements Section 245(i) Provision of the LIFE Act," www.justice.gov, Mar. 23, 2001
Legal Immigration Family Equity (LIFE) Act of 2000 (33KB)

Sep. 11, 2001 - Terrorist Attacks Prompt US Department of Defense to

Expand Military Support along the Borders

"The military generally provides support to law enforcement and immigration authorities along the
southern border. Reported escalations in criminal activity and illegal immigration, however, have
prompted some lawmakers to reevaluate the extent and type of military support that occurs in the border
region... Addressing domestic laws and activities with the military, however, might run afoul of the Posse
Comitatus Act [U.S. Code, Title 18, 1385], which prohibits use of the armed forces to perform the tasks
of civilian law enforcement unless explicitly authorized...
After the attacks of September 11, 2001, military support was expanded to include counterterrorism
activities. Although the DOD [Department of Defense] does not have the 'assigned responsibility to stop
terrorists from coming across our borders,' its support role in counterdrug and counterterrorism efforts
appears to have increased the Departments profile in border security."
Congressional Research Service (CRS)
"Border Security and Military Support: Legal Authorizations and
Restrictions," (33KB)
www.loc.gov/crsinfo, Mar. 23, 2006

May 14, 2002 - Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act
Updates Immigration Databases and Travel Document Requirements
"Approximately eight months after the terrorist attacks of September 11, on May 14, 2002, President
George W. Bush signed the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002. It
represents the most comprehensive immigration-related response to the continuing terrorist threat
America faces.
The Border Security law contains several provisions that are critical to our ability to control our border.
Among the most important are:
A requirement that the immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) make interoperable all its internal
databases, so that all information about a particular alien may be accessed with a single search;
A requirement that federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies share data on aliens with the INS
and the State Department; and
A requirement that all travel and entry documents, including visas, issued to aliens by the United States
be machine-readable and tamper-resistant and include a standard biometric identifier."
Rosemary Jenks, JD

"The Enhanced Border Security and Visa Reform Act of 2002, H.R. 3525," www.cis.org, June 2002

Oct. 1, 2004 - "Minuteman Project" Begins Recruiting Civilians to

Patrol the US-Mexico Border
"In Arizona, a group calling itself the Minuteman Project has stationed scores of men and women along
the Mexican border in a controversial effort to track down undocumented immigrants. The Minutmen take
their name from a militia group during the American Revolutionary War. The groups founder, James
Gilchrist, says the project [since Oct. 1, 2004] has attracted some 450 volunteers from around the
country. On Monday, Gilchirst said they aided in the arrest of 146 undocumented immigrants. The
Minutemen have staked out across a 23-mile stretch of border northeast of Nogales for the month-long
action. Many use binoculars and night-vision goggles. Some are armed with guns. Over 20 pilots with
aircraft are also surveying the area. Organizers call their effort a peaceful protest over the governments
failure to secure its borders. Both the Mexican government and the Bush administration have described
them the Minutemen as vigilantes. Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union has sent observers to
keep tabs on the Minutemen to ensure they dont take the law into their own hands."
Democracy Now!

"Vigilantes or Civilian Border Patrol? A Debate on the Minuteman Project," www.democracynow.org, Apr. 5,
2005

May 11, 2005 - REAL ID Act Expands Laws for Asylum and
Deportation of Foreigners for Terrorist Activity
"the major provisions of the REAL ID Act, as enacted, which inter alia, (1)modifies the eligibility criteria
for asylum and withholding of removal; (2) limits judicial review of certain immigration decisions; (3)
provides additional waiver authority over laws that might impede the expeditious construction of barriers
and roads along land borders, including a 14-mile wide fence near San Diego; (4) expand the scope of
terror-related activity making an alien inadmissible or deportable, as well as ineligible for certain forms of
relief from removal; (5) requires states to meet certain minimum security standards in order for the drivers
licenses and personal identification cards they use to be accepted for federal purposes; (6) requires the
Secretary of Homeland Security to enter into the appropriate background information of any person
convicted of using a false drivers license for the purpose of boarding an airplane; and (7) requires the
Department of Homeland Security to study and plan new ways to improve U.S. security and improve
inter-agency communications and information sharing, as well as establish a ground surveillance pilot
program."
Congressional Research Service (CRS)

"Immigration: Analysis of the Major Provisions of the REAL ID Act of 2005,"

www.fas.org, May 25, 2005

Oct. 26, 2006 - Secure Fence Act Authorizes Fencing along the USMexican Border

Playing volleyball over the border fence at Borderfield State Park, San Diego, CA

Source: "Viva Border Volleyball!"LAWeekly, July 27, 2006

"The Secure Fence Act was signed into law on October 26, 2006. The Act authorizes the construction of
[700] hundreds of miles of double-layered fencing along the nation's Southern border. It also directs the
Secretary of Homeland Security to take action to stop the unlawful entry of undocumented immigrants,
terrorists, and contraband into the U.S. using both personnel and surveillance technology. The Secretary
is further instructed to evaluate U.S. Customs and Border Protection training and equipment. Finally, the
Act requests a study on the feasibility of constructing an improved security system along the Northern
border."
Amy M. Traub, MA

"2007 Edition: Principles for an Immigration Policy to Strengthen and Expand the American Middle Class,"
www.drummajorinstitute.org, 2007

Jan. 2007 - US Department of Homeland Security Estimates 11.8

Million Unauthorized Immigrants in US with 59% from Mexico
"...[A]n estimated 11.8 million unauthorized immigrants were living in the United States in January 2007
compared to 8.5 million in 2000. Between 2000 and 2007, the unauthorized population increased 3.3
million; the annual average increase during this period was 470,000. Nearly 4.2 million (35 percent) of the
total 11.8 million unauthorized residents in 2007 had entered in 2000 or later. An estimated 7.0 million (59
percent) were from Mexico."

US Department of Homeland Security

"Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States:

January 2007," (531KB)
www.dhs.gov, Sep. 2008

Jan. 2008 - Estimated Number of Unauthorized Immigrants Decreases

to 11.6 Million
"...[T]he number of unauthorized immigrants living in the United States declined from 11.8 million in
January 2007 to 11.6 million in January 2008 [a 1.7% decrease]. The 2008 estimate marks the first time
since 2005 when DHS began producing annual estimates that there was not a year-to-year increase in
unauthorized residents. During the 2000-2008 period, the unauthorized immigrant population increased
by 37 percent."
US Department of Homeland Security

"Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States:

January 2008," (534KB)
www.dhs.gov, Feb. 2009

Apr. 23, 2010 - Controversial Arizona Bill (SB 1070) Signed into Law,
Expanding the State's Authority to Combat Illegal Immigration
"Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law Friday [April 23] the most restrictive immigration bill in the
country [SB 1070 (57KB) ], setting the stage for a showdown with the Obama administration and
reigniting a divisive national debate less than seven months before congressional midterm elections...
Under Arizona's new law, to take effect in 90 days, it will be a state crime to be in the country illegally, and
legal immigrants will be required to carry paperwork proving their status. Arizona police will generally be
required to question anyone they 'reasonably suspect' of being undocumented -- a provision that critics
argue will lead to widespread racial profiling, but that supporters insist will give authorities the flexibility to
enforce existing immigration laws."
Washington Post

Anne E. Kornblut and Spencer S. Hsu, "Arizona Governor Signs Immigration Bill, Reopening National
Debate," www.washingtonpost.com, Apr. 24, 2010

July 28, 2010 - Judge Blocks Key Parts of Arizona's Anti-Illegal

Immigration Law
"A federal judge Wednesday temporarily blocked key parts of Arizona's new immigration law on the eve of
implementation...
U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton granted the Obama administration's request for a preliminary injunction
on the grounds that immigration enforcement is the responsibility of the federal government, not states...
...[Judge Bolton] blocked a requirement that police check the immigration status of people stopped for
such routine infractions as traffic violations, if police suspect they are in the U.S. illegally... [and] a section
that required law enforcement to detain individuals until their legal status was clarified...
She also blocked a section that required foreigners to carry documents proving they had permission to be
in the U.S., and another provision that banned illegal immigrants from seeking work in Arizona."
Miriam Jordan, MA

"Judge Blocks Arizona Law," www.wsj.com, July 29, 2010

Sep. 1, 2010 - Inflow of Unauthorized Immigrants in 2007-2009

Decreased by Two-Thirds from 2000-2005
"The annual inflow of unauthorized immigrants to the United States was nearly two-thirds smaller in the

March 2007 to March 2009 period than it had been from March 2000 to March 2005, according to new
estimates [released Sep. 1, 2010] by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center."
Pew Research Center

"US Unauthorized Immigration Flows Are Down Sharply Since Mid-Decade," (821KB)
,
www.pewresearch.org, Sep. 1, 2010

"Hours after the report was released, the Obama administration credited its tough enforcement measures
for the decline, citing its crackdown on employers, stepped-up deportations and plentiful staffing of the
Border Patrol. Analysts of migration patterns, however, say the single largest factor is probably the
economy."

Los Angeles Times

"A Window for Immigration Reform," www.latimes.com, Sep. 3, 2010

May 26, 2011 - US Supreme Court Upholds Arizona Law Penalizing

Businesses That Hire Undocumented Immigrants
"The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld an Arizona law that imposes sanctions against businesses
that hire illegal immigrants.
The court, on a 5-3 vote, said federal immigration law does not bar Arizona from suspending or revoking
the licenses of businesses that employ unauthorized aliens...
Then-Gov. Janet Napolitano signed the Arizona law in 2007, saying that while immigration is a federal
responsibility, Arizona had been forced to deal with the issue because the demand for cheap,
undocumented labor in the state was contributing to illegal immigration.
Numerous organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, argued the state's law was preempted by
the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which forbids states from imposing sanctions for
hiring illegal immigrants...
Several states have enacted measures that seek to penalize employers for hiring illegal workers, while
others are considering legislation similar to Arizona's."
Wall Street Journal

Brent Kendall and Stephanie Gleason, "US High Court Upholds Arizona Immigration Law Targeting
Employers," www.wsj.com, May 26, 2

June 15, 2012 - President Obama Signs Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals (DACA) to Allow Some Undocumented Immigrants Who Came
to the United States as Children to Stay in the Country
"Hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children will be allowed to
remain in the country without fear of deportation and able to work, under an executive action the Obama
administration announced on Friday.
Administration officials said the president used existing legal authority to make the broad policy change,
which could temporarily benefit more than 800,000 young people. He did not consult with Congress,
where Republicans have generally opposed measures to benefit illegal immigrants...
"They are Americans in their heart, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper, President
Obama said in announcing the new policy in the White House Rose Garden on Friday...
Under the change, the Department of Homeland Security will no longer initiate the deportation of illegal
immigrants who came to the United States before age 16, have lived here for at least five years, and are
in school, are high school graduates or are military veterans in good standing. The immigrants must also
be under 30 and have clean criminal records..."

New York Times

Julia Preston and John H. Cushman Jr., "Obama to Permit Young Migrants to Remain in U.S.,"
www.nytimes.com, June 15, 2012

June 25, 2012 - US Supreme Court Upholds Centerpiece of 2010

Arizona Immigration Law, Rejects Other Provisions

Protestors debate Arizona's immigration law outside the US Supreme Court

Source: "Poll: Supreme Court Ruling on Arizona Immigration May Alienate Latino
Voters," CSMonitor.com, June 25, 2012
"The Supreme Court on Monday delivered a split decision on Arizona's tough 2010 immigration law,
upholding its most hotly debated provision but blocking others on the grounds that they interfered with the
federal government's role in setting immigration policy.
The court unanimously sustained the law's centerpiece, the one critics have called its 'show me your
papers' provision, though they left the door open to further challenges. The provision requires state law
enforcement officials to determine the immigration status of anyone they stop or arrest if they have
reason to suspect that the individual might be in the country illegally.
The justices parted ways on three other provisions, with the majority rejecting measures that would have
subjected illegal immigrants to criminal penalties for activities like seeking work.
The ruling is likely to set the ground rules for the immigration debate, with supporters of the Arizona law
pushing for 'show me your papers' provisions in more states and opponents trying to overturn criminal
sanctions for illegal immigrants..."
New York Times

Adam Liptak, "Blocking Parts of Arizona Law, Justices Allow Its Centerpiece," www.nytimes.com, June 25,
2012

Immigration Timeline

procon.org

Is Illegal Immigration an Economic Burden to America?

Adam Davidson, International Business and Economics Correspondent at National Public

Radio (NPR), wrote in his Mar. 30, 2006 article "Q&A: Illegal Immigrants and the U.S.
Economy" on www.npr.org:
"[M]any economists say the effect of an estimated 11 million undocumented workers is minimal.
While illegal immigrants have a negative impact on unskilled workers many of whom lack
technical training or a high school diploma economists believe that overall, the American
economy benefits a small amount from illegal immigration a little bit less than 1 percent... That
finding... suggests that neither side of the immigration issue has a strong economic argument to
make...
Illegal immigration has both negative and positive impacts on different parts of the economy. As
noted above, wages for low-skilled workers go down. But that means the rest of America benefits
by paying lower prices for things like restaurant meals, agricultural produce and construction.
Another negative impact is on government expenditures. Since undocumented workers generally
don't pay income taxes but do use schools and other government services, they are seen as a
drain on government spending.
There are places in the United States where illegal immigration has big effects (both positive and
negative). But economists generally believe that when averaged over the whole economy, the
effect is a small net positive. Harvard's George Borjas says the average American's wealth is
increased by less than 1 percent because of illegal immigration.
The economic impact of illegal immigration is far smaller than other trends in the economy, such
as the increasing use of automation in manufacturing or the growth in global trade. Those two
factors have a much bigger impact on wages, prices and the health of the U.S. economy."

Is Illegal Immigration an Economic Burden? Procon.org

What Is an Immigration Amnesty?

Matthew Spalding, PhD, Director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies at
The Heritage Foundation, in a June 25, 2007 Heritage Foundation essay entitled
"Undeniably Amnesty: The Cornerstone of the Senate's Immigration Proposal," wrote:
"Amnesty, from the same Greek root as 'amnesia,' forgives past crimes and removes them from
the record for future purposes. In the context of immigration, amnesty is commonly defined as
granting legal status to a group of individuals unlawfully present in a country. Amnesty provides a
simple, powerful, and undeniable benefit to the recipient: It overlooks the alien's illegal entry and
ongoing illegal presence and creates a new legal status that allows the recipient to live and work in
the country. The textbook example of such an amnesty is the Immigration Reform and Control Act
of 1986. The act's core provision gave amnesty to those who could establish that they had resided
illegally in the United States continuously for five years by granting them temporary resident
status, which in 18 months was adjustable to permanent residency, which led to citizenship five
years later."

What is an Immigration Amnesty? Procon.org

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What Is Deportation?
Encyclopedia Britannica, in its online version (accessed Oct. 10, 2007), offered the
following definition:
"In Anglo-American law today, deportation is a civil enactment imposed on persons who are
neither native-born nor naturalized citizens. The alien is ordinarily, but not necessarily, returned to
the country from which he came, usually because he has entered the deporting country illegally or
without proper passport or visa. Aliens who become public charges, commit crimes involving moral
turpitude, or engage in subversive activities can also be subjected to deportation proceedings.
U.S. courts have shown leniency in circumstances in which families are split apart unjustifiably and
left
with
no
means
of
support.
Deportation differs from exclusion, extradition, and exile. Exclusion is the refusal by a governing
authority to admit an alien. Extradition is the removal of a criminal to the country from which he has
fled to avoid criminal prosecution or prison. Exile is a prolonged absence from one's country, either
voluntary or by direction of the sovereign."

What is Deportation? Procon.org

Immigration Gallup Poll Link