The facts
U.S. immigration policy is set mainly by federal statute, with the executive branch shaping enforcement priorities and the courts reviewing both.
Legal immigration runs through categories such as family sponsorship, employment, refugees and asylum, and the diversity visa lottery, each with its own caps and rules.
Public opinion on immigration shifts with economic conditions and border activity, and tends to divide along partisan lines on enforcement versus expanded pathways.
Understand the issue
Civics quick read
Glossary
Legal Immigration
It's the set of official ways people can move to the U.S. and stay legally, each with its own rules and yearly
Glossary
Asylum
Asylum lets someone who reaches the U.S. stay if they can prove they'd face persecution back home for who they
Civics
How does U.S. immigration policy work?
A plain-English look at how the United States decides who can enter, stay, and become a citizen.
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Should immigration be more strict?
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