As both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump visit the southern U.S. border today, it's clear that the migrant crisis will be a leading issue in the 2024 elections.
In a new Q&A, RAND's Elina Treyger and Shelly Culbertson break down this complex problem. They discuss who's arriving at the border and why, how the asylum process works (and why the asylum system is buckling), the policy changes leaders are considering, and more.
Treyger and Culbertson emphasize that the focus on the border distracts from a wider crisis: America's immigration system is outdated. A holistic update to U.S. immigration laws may be politically challenging, they say, but such an overhaul is likely the key to reducing the number of daily arrivals at the border and easing the burden on communities that host migrants.
Achievement in mathematics is important for long-term college and career success. But many students—especially those who are Black, Hispanic, or from low-income households—do not have access to advanced math courses such as trigonometry or calculus. This may be in part because of the way that many schools place students in math classes. According to a new RAND study, more than half of high school principals say that their students are grouped into math courses by achievement level—a practice called tracking. Although tracking can make scheduling simpler and may be used to ensure that students are learning appropriately challenging content, research has shown that it’s not always implemented equitably. Read more »
By working with allies and partners to develop AI applications, the United States could expand the data available to train algorithms and deepen the pool of talent that can work on them. RAND's James Ryseff identifies three keys to addressing challenges that might prevent AI cooperation: First, identify a concrete use case for cooperating on AI, such as enhancing cyber defenses. Second, ensure that governments—rather than contractors—maintain ownership of data used to train AI algorithms. Finally, consider establishing a secure unclassified cloud computing environment that’s jointly funded by and operated with U.S. allies and partners. Read more »
Because of partisan gridlock, the United States is on the verge of an “enormous strategic blunder” in the Indo-Pacific, writes RAND’s Derek Grossman in Nikkei Asia.
You already get the latest insights from RAND in your inbox. Why not your earbuds? Policy Currents is available as a weekly podcast. New episodes every Friday.
