Index/Topics/U.S. immigration regime

U.S. immigration regime

The current U.S. immigration regime affecting border crossings is a patchwork of statutory law, recent executive actions, and administrative rules that together tighten asylum eligibility, expand enforcement and removals, and deploy new screening technologies—while preserving specific humanitarian exceptions for categories like unaccompanied children and trafficking victims.

Fact-Checks

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Jan 28, 2026
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catholic doctrine on immigration

on immigration centers on , family unity, and the right to life, obliging prosperous nations to welcome and protect migrants while recognizing states’ authority to regulate borders for the common good...

Jan 16, 2026
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are people being prevented from leaving the US via the land borders of canada and mexico?

Current official actions and reporting indicate the United States has been imposing temporary land‑border restrictions and stepped‑up screening focused on who may enter the country from Canada and Mex...

Jan 22, 2026
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How did U.S. border crossing numbers change between 2016 and 2020 by month?

The monthly pattern of border crossings from 2016 through 2020 shows a familiar seasonal cycle around a multi-year decline after 2016 and then a sharp disruption in 2020 driven by and the expulsions p...

Jan 21, 2026

How do deportation counting methods (removals vs. returns) change public understanding of enforcement scale?

Counting "" as formal removals versus counting the broader set of returns and expulsions produces dramatically different headline totals and public impressions, because removals carry legal orders and...

Feb 2, 2026

Are legal immigrants in danger

Legal immigrants face heightened administrative hurdles, longer vetting, and increased risk of detention or retroactive review under recent policy shifts, but the degree of immediate physical danger v...

Jan 24, 2026

What were the primary drivers of increases or decreases in border crossings from 2016 to 2020?

between 2016 and 2020 were driven by a mix of shifting push factors in sending countries, changing migration geography, and stronger enforcement and pandemic-era policies that interrupted flows — prod...

Jan 15, 2026

What evidence shows whether IRCA reduced unauthorized migration in the years after 1986?

Scholarly and government analyses converge on a clear but qualified finding: IRCA produced a measurable short-term reduction in unauthorized crossings—driven largely by legalization of existing migran...

Jan 9, 2026

How does DHS define “convicted criminal” when reporting immigrant crime statistics in local operations?

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reports "criminal aliens" as individuals who have been convicted of one or more crimes, whether those convictions occurred in the United States or abroad, and...