- 200 Immigration-Related Bills Have Already Been Introduced in States Legislatures in 2024
Despite being less than a month into the 2024 state legislation cycle, state legislatures have introduced numerous proposals advancing immigrant-inclusive policies. The American Immigration Council is tracking over 200 immigration-related bills in state legislatures. The policies are varied, ranging from those aiming to remove barriers to occupational licensure to get more high-skilled immigrants into jobs to bills establishing Offices of New Americans.
- Naturalization Helps Immigrants and the United States Reach Full Potential
Hundreds of thousands of immigrants become naturalized U.S. citizens every year, with many sharing similar sentiments of gratitude and a desire to give back to the country that they now call home. Still, nearly a quarter (23.4%) of immigrants who are eligible to naturalize, or 7.4 million immigrants, have not yet done so.
Biden Administration Can Remove Texas’ Razor Wire Barrier at the Border, Supreme Court Rules
Buoy barriers with chainsaw devices in the Rio Grande river. Coils of concertina wire along the riverbank. Armored Humvees blocking access roads. Piles of dirt rendering gates unusable. Governor Greg Abbott’s cruel attempts to booby trap the Texas border to prevent U.S. Border Patrol agents from reaching migrants might be considered comical, if not for the many human lives put at risk and the threat to the rule of law that result from his Wile E. Coyote-inspired antics.
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This week, the Supreme Court ruled that the Biden administration could remove razor wire placed by the state of Texas along the U.S.-Mexico border, when necessary. The move comes after three people died trying to cross the Rio Grande.
The Court ruled that Border Patrol agents could cut or move Texas’ razor wire when they deem it necessary to carry out their official duties, such as monitoring the area where the tragedy occurred. Texas’ appeal will likely end up back on the Supreme Court’s docket.
For years, Texas has tried to carry out immigration enforcement on its own—even though that’s the role of the federal government. The result has often been dangerous.
But it is possible for state and federal governments to work together on immigration policy. In the American Immigration Council’s report, we propose establishing a Center for Migrant Coordination to coordinate federal, state, and local efforts to support newly arrived migrants and reduce impacts on local communities.
Read more: Beyond A Border Solution
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