LibGuides: Know Your Rights!: Immigration Rights

Defending Your Rights

~ iAmerica: Know your Rights Resources

~ National Immigration Law Center: Know your Rights Resources

EBooks

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Alienated by Victor C. Romero
Call Number: EBook
ISBN: 9780814775684
Publication Date: 2005-02-01
Throughout American history, the government has used U.S. citizenship and immigration law to protect privileged groups from less privileged ones, using citizenship as a “legitimate” proxy for otherwise invidious, and often unconstitutional, discrimination on the basis of race.
The Health of Newcomers by Patricia Illingworth; Wendy E. Parmet
Call Number: EBook
ISBN: 9780814789216
Publication Date: 2017-01-24
Immigration and health care are hotly debated and contentious issues. Policies that relate to both issues—to the health of newcomers—often reflect misimpressions about immigrants, and their impact on health care systems.
The New Americans? by Heather Silber Mohamed
Call Number: EBook
ISBN: 0700623876
Publication Date: 2017-03-24
In 2006, millions of Latinos mobilized in opposition to H.R. 4437, an immigration proposal pending before the US Congress.
Immigration & Immigrant Communities (1650-2016) by Salem Press Editors (Editor); James S. Pula (Editor)
Call Number: EBook
ISBN: 9781682172858
Publication Date: 2017-03-07
This text explores the full history of immigration issues in America, from those early immigrants making their way through Ellis Island, to immigration issues in modern society. With in-depth analysis of a broad range of documents, researchers come away with fresh understanding and insight to study this hot button topic.

Relevant Articles

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The Immigration and Nationality (McCarran-Walter) Act of 1952, as Amended to 1965
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 was the product of the most extensive Congressional study of the subject in the nation's history. The Act codified and brought together for the first time all the nation's laws on immigration and naturalization.
Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection: Immigration
Immigration is the act of moving from one's home country to another nation with the intention of settling there permanently. Immigrants may or may not become citizens of their new countries of residence.
Health Care and Sanitation Rights of Asylum Seekers in United States Immigration Detention: How the United States is in Violation of International Human Rights Law and International Norms
Since its founding, the United States has been a destination for immigrants all over the world to seek a better opportunity. More than 44.7 million immigrants lived in the United States in 2018.

What are undocumented immigrants' legal options?

Annual Number of New U.S. Citizens

MPI: Naturalization Trends in the United States
Naturalization confers citizenship on foreign nationals with legal permanent resident (LPR) status in the United States, granting immigrants the same important privileges and responsibilities as U.S.-born citizens, including the right to vote.

Immigration Law in the U.S.

Immigration History: Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 (Hart-Celler Act)
More than four decades after the passage of the 1924 Reed-Johnson Act, Congress legislated a system of immigration control to replace the discriminatory national origins system. The new system implemented preferences which prioritized family reunification (75 percent), employment (20 percent), and refugee status (5 percent).
Immigration History: Immigration Act of 1990
This was a significant revision of existing immigration laws, which greatly increased the number of people who could legally immigrate to the United States, and introduced provisions to facilitate the entry of specific groups for specialized work.

Know Your Immigration Rights Resources

Deportation Defense Manual
Make the Road New York (MRNY) is a 20,000+ member community organization that builds the power of immigrant and working communities to achieve dignity and justice by using four core strategies: community organizing, policy innovation, transformative education and provision of survival services.

Library Collections on Immigration

National Archives: Immigration Records
Immigration records, more popularly known as "ship passenger arrival records," may provide evidence of a person's arrival in the United States, as well as foreign birthplace. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has immigration records for various ports for the years 1800-1959.
Harvard Library: Immigration to the United States, 1789-1930
Documenting voluntary immigration to the United States from the signing of the Constitution to the start of the Great Depression.
The Immigrant Story
When you help us share powerful stories, you shape the narrative of today’s America. As The Immigrant Story grows, you also become a vital voice guiding the direction our organization takes in the future.
NPR Special Series: The Immigration Debate
Audio recordings, interviews, discussions on Immigration in the US.

Related LibGuides

Immigration: The Changing Face of America

Organizations that Help

ACLU: Immigrants' Rights
The fundamental constitutional protections of due process and equal protection embodied in our Constitution and Bill of Rights apply to every person, regardless of immigration status.
Human Rights Watch, HRW: Immigration
Human Rights Watch investigates and reports on abuses happening in all corners of the world.
Immigrant Center Resource Center
The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is a national nonprofit resource center that provides immigration legal trainings, technical assistance, and educational materials, and engages in advocacy and immigrant civic engagement to advance immigrant rights.
Immigration Equality
Through direct legal services, policy advocacy, and impact litigation, we advocate for immigrants and families facing discrimination based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.
Immigration Justice Campaign
Our mission is to fight for due process and justice for detained immigrants.
Migration Policy Institute
The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute seeks to improve immigration and integration policies through authoritative research and analysis, opportunities for learning and dialogue, and the development of new ideas to address complex policy questions.
National Immigrant Justice Center, NIJC
We provide comprehensive legal services to low-income immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
National Immigration Law Center
Established in 1979, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is one of the leading organizations in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of immigrants with low income.
National Immigration Project
For 49 years, the National Immigration Project has fought for justice and equality of treatment in immigration law and the criminal legal system.
United We Dream
United We Dream is the largest immigrant youth-led community in the country. We create welcoming spaces for young people – regardless of immigration status – to support, engage, and empower them to make their voice heard and win!

News Articles

Bloomberg Law: Chronic Green Card Backlog Gains Lawmakers’ Bipartisan Attention
Immigrants in line for a green card for years or decades have new hope that chronic backlogs will finally be addressed as lawmakers from both parties and the Biden administration train their sights on the issue.
Forbes: U.S. Consumers And Producers Need Immigration In The Post-Covid World
Zoom has kept the world connected during Covid-19. More than 200 million people gather daily on the video communication platform, helping schools, churches and businesses of all types stay productive despite social distancing constraints.
PBS: Headline articles on undocumented immigrants
PBS NewsHour is the primary daily, breaking and special news producer for PBS. It produces PBS NewsHour, PBS News Weekend, and Washington Week, as well as has a robust footprint across digital and social platforms.
Forbes: Immigrants And Green Cards: Immigration In A Reconciliation Bill
Relief from deportation and green cards for those waiting in backlogs could be part of a reconciliation bill if the Senate parliamentarian agrees. The current state of play has confused analysts and lawmakers alike, not to mention those directly affected by what Congress might do on immigration.