Policy Beat
Sweeping Senate Bill Sets the Stage for Fundamental Overhaul of US Immigration System

After months of negotiations, a bipartisan group of US senators informally called the “Gang of Eight” in mid-April introduced long-awaited legislation for sweeping reform of the US immigration system. This article provides a summary of the Senate bill’s provisions and outlines the main critiques and obstacles ahead, including a tight legislative calendar, a difficult political dynamic in the House of Representatives, and an early stumbling block precipitated by the Boston Marathon bombing.

[Source: Migration Information Source]

Immigration in the United States: New Economic, Social, Political Landscapes with Legislative Reform on the Horizon
Immigration has contributed to many of the economic, social, and political processes that are foundational to the United States as a nation since the first newcomers arrived over 400 years ago. After brushes with immigration reform that began in 2001 and continued in 2006 and 2007, the United States seems to be on the threshold of overhauling the legal immigration system in the most substantive way since 1965. This article provides a comprehensive overview of major legislation and events affecting US immigration throughout history, legal and illegal immigration flows, postrecession immigration trends, and more.

[Source: Migration Information Source]

Feature
Health Outcomes of Mexican Immigrant Women in the United States
According to the National Population Council of Mexico, only 15 percent of Mexican immigrant women in the United States were enrolled in public health programs in 2012. Much of what is known about the Mexican immigrant population’s access to health care in the United States is based on combined data for both sexes. However, in terms of health, women have different experiences and needs, and it is therefore important to deepen knowledge of health determinants, access to and use of health services, and health status of this group in particular. This article provides a comparative analysis of health outcomes of Mexican immigrant women in the United States, assessing the results against what is known as the immigrant paradox — the idea that these women enjoy a better state of health overall than might be expected, given their socioeconomic status and very limited health insurance coverage.

Country Profile
Guatemalan Migration in Times of Civil War and Post-War Challenges
Since 1990, the number of Central American immigrants in the United States has nearly tripled. This immigrant population grew faster than any other region-of-origin population from Latin America between 2000 and 2010. This article focuses on a wide range of characteristics of Central American immigrants residing in the United States, including the population’s size, geographic distribution, admission categories, and demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.

Going to the Back of the Line: A Primer on Lines, Visa Categories, and Wait Times - By Claire Bergeron
Contrary to popular belief, there is not one “line” that leads to lawful permanent residence; current immigration law provides multiple paths to permanent residency. This brief, the first in a new series of issue briefs related to the ongoing comprehensive immigration reform debate, examines who is in the “line,” what are the various visa categories involved in family- and employment-based immigration, wait times, countries most affected by the backlogs, and more. The brief, and MPI’s extensive research and data offerings that are directly on point to the current debate, can be found at a new online resource.

[Source: Migration Information Source]

Feature
The Opening of Burmese Borders: Impacts on Migration
Burma, a resources-rich yet impoverished nation also known as Myanmar, rejoined the international community in 2011 after a military junta loosened its grip. Before the Southeast Asian nation opened its borders, Burmese migrated primarily for low-paid, clandestine work in Thailand but also as a result of violence and natural disasters. This article explores how the country’s recent transition has impacted Burmese migration flows.

Policy Beat
Immigration Reform Returns to Center Stage of US Politics
Immigration reform is squarely back on the agenda in Washington, with the unveiling of plans for major reform of the US immigration system by the White House and a bipartisan group of senators known as the Gang of Eight. This article explores the policy and political aspects of this fast-moving debate, examines an uptick in apprehensions of illegal crossers, and more.

[Source: Migration Information Source]

Feature
“Suddenly, Migration Was Everywhere”: The Conception and Future Prospects of the Global Migration Group
Several international initiatives were launched in the 1990s and 2000s in response to the steady development of migration policy and governance in the international arena. One such initiative, the Global Migration Group, an inter-agency group, has received scant attention from scholars. This article provides a critical analysis of its genesis, functioning, and future.

Spotlight
Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States
The US immigrant population — estimated at 40.4 million in 2011 — is the nation’s historical numeric high, and it is also the largest in the world. About 20 percent of all international migrants reside in the United States, even as the country accounts for less than 5 percent of the world’s population. Find out more top statistics on immigrants and immigration in the United States in this article which presents the latest, most interesting data in one easy-to-use resource.

[Source: Migration Information Source]

Feature:

• Hospitals and Doctors under Attack in Syria: Q&A with the Chair of the Humanitarian Aid Committee for the Syrian Expatriates Organization

This Q&A explores the dire medical emergency and refugee health concerns resulting from the ongoing Syrian crisis. Source editor Amber French conducts a Q&A with Dr. Fadi Al Khankan of the Syrian Expatriates Organization and MPI’s Kathleen Newland, both panelists at the January 14, 2013 MPI event unveiling the International Rescue Committee’s report, Syria: A Regional Crisis.

• Voice after Exit: Revolution and Migration in the Arab World

Since mid-December 2010, popular uprisings have taken hold in a number of countries across North Africa and the Middle East in what has been dubbed the Arab Spring. Philippe Fargues of the European University Institute discusses the demographic trends underpinning the recent eruption of unrest in the Arab world, and the likely impact of the revolts on migration.

In the Newsletter:

• Immigrants in New-Destination States
• Material Support to Terrorism — Consequences for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the United States

1. Disentangling Immigration and International Development in the United States
2. Refugees and Asylees in the United States
3. Strengthening Pre-Departure Orientation Programmes in Indonesia, Nepal and the Philippines
4. Parenting Behavior, Health, and Cognitive Development Among Children in Black Immigrant Families
5. Black and Immigrant: Exploring the Effects of Ethnicity and Foreign-Born Status on Infant Health

 [Source: Migration Information Source]

Policy Beat
Key Factors, Unresolved Issues in New Large-Scale Deferred Action Program for Immigrant Youth Will Determine Its Success

Notwithstanding the opportunities for qualified unauthorized immigrants brought to the United States as youth offered through the newly implemented deferred action program, the policy’s success still faces implementation and other challenges. Muzaffar Chishti and Faye Hipsman examine the issues that remain unaddressed in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Feature Story
Shaping Citizenship Policies to Strengthen Immigrant Integration

In recent years, many governments have tightened their citizenship requirements as a way to promote better immigrant integration. In examining citizenship policy in the United States, Canada, and countries in the European Union, this article considers the balance policymakers face between requirements that may be too difficult for immigrants to meet and ones that will better help them find success in their new countries of residence.

[Source: Migration Information Source]

1. Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States

Interested in information on annual naturalization trends, illegal immigration, the geographical distribution of immigrants in the United States, current and historical shares, and a host of other topics? MPI’s Jeanne Batalova and Alicia Lee have assembled the latest, most interesting data on immigrants and immigration into one easy-to-use resource.

2. Rapid Growth in Singapore’s Immigrant Population Brings Policy Challenges

Over the past decade, Singapore’s multicultural yet nationalist society has experienced substantial inflows of Asian and Western professionals, low-skilled migrants from across Southeast Asia, and new immigrants from nontraditional sending countries. This, coupled with increasingly permanent emigration of educated and skilled Singaporeans, has presented the city-state with complex challenges related to migration policymaking.

• Faltering Movement: Explaining Europe’s Schengen Struggle
  

Europe’s Schengen agreement eliminated border controls between 25 countries for over 400 million people. Schengen cooperation has come under intense pressure of late, however, and EU Member States are currently considering whether the rules under which it operates ought to be adjusted. Elizabeth Collett provides background and explains what the current debate means for the future of Schengen.

 

• Immigration Enforcement in the United States
  

At just under 517,000, immigrant apprehensions in 2010 were the lowest they have been in nearly 40 years. Sheida Elmi and Kristen McCabe analyze the most recent immigration enforcement data on apprehensions, detentions, removals, and returns of noncitizens in the United States.

 

• 2011 Indian Census
  

Provisional data from the 2011 Indian Census has been released by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The population of India grew 17.64 percent in the last decade, with 12.18 percent growth in rural areas and 31.80 percent growth in urban areas.

 

• Spotlights Library: US immigration statistics broken down by population, demographics, and migrant types.

• MPI Data Hub: Immigration data for the United States and countries worldwide.

[Source: Migration Policy Institute]