Immigration policy

Extracted Attributes

• Governing Law

  Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)

• Border Shutdown Threshold

  2,500 illegal crossings per day (weekly average)

• Primary Enforcement Agency

  Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

• Key Enforcement Sub-Agencies

  Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); U.S. Border Patrol

• Record Annual Encounters (2023)

  2.5 million individuals

• CBP One App Users (as of Aug 2024)

  813,000 people

• Total Migrant Encounters (Jan 2021 - Jan 2024)

  7.2 million individuals

• Humanitarian Parole Participants (as of Aug 2024)

  530,000 migrants

Timeline

• Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 repeals the national origin quota system. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1965-10-03

• Immigration Act of 1990 increases legal immigration limits and establishes Temporary Protected Status (TPS). (Source: Web Search)

  1990-11-29

• Barack Obama creates the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. (Source: Web Search)

  2012-06-15

• Joe Biden halts border wall construction and reverses Trump-era travel bans on his first day in office. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2021-01-20

• Biden administration launches the CBP One app and a humanitarian parole program for specific nationalities. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2023-01-01

• Biden approves sending 1,500 additional troops to the U.S.-Mexico border following the expiration of Title 42. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2023-05-01

• Biden signs a proclamation to shut down the border if illegal crossings reach a daily average of 2,500. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2024-06-04

• Donald Trump returns to office and issues executive orders restricting immigration and immigrants' rights. (Source: Web Search)

  2025-01-20

Immigration policy of the Biden administration

The immigration policy Joe Biden initially focused on reversing many of the immigration policies of the previous Trump administration. During his first day in office, Biden unveiled the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 and reversed many of Trump's policies on immigration, such as halting the construction of the Mexico–United States border wall, travel ban, and signed an executive order to reaffirm protections for DACA recipients. The Biden administration and Department of Homeland Security, under leadership of Alejandro Mayorkas, reined in deportation practices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), prioritizing national security and violent crime concerns over petty and nonviolent offenses. Between January 2021 and January 2024, US Border Patrol confirmed more than 7.2 million illegal migrants trying to cross the US-Mexico border, not counting gotaways. 2023 was a record year with over 2.5 million encounters. Biden faced criticism from immigrant advocates for extending Title 42, a Trump administration border restriction that arose due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as restarting the use of "expedited removal" of certain Central American families. In January 2023, Biden announced a humanitarian parole program to increase the admission of immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, while also announcing that his administration would crack down on those who fail to use the plan's legal pathway and strengthen border security. Nearly 530,000 migrants took advantage of the parole program as of August 2024. Biden also launched the CBP One app in January 2023 to allow migrants to schedule asylum appointments online, which has been used by 813,000 people as of August 2024. In May 2023, the Biden Administration approved sending 1,500 more troops to the U.S.-Mexico border following Title 42's expiration. On June 4, 2024, Biden signed A Proclamation on Securing the Border to shut down the border if illegal crossings reached an average of 2,500 migrants a day in a given week. Migrant encounters subsequently dropped down to 2020 levels.

Web Search Results

• A Guide to Immigration Policy Changes in 2025

  ### U.S. immigration policy today Today, U.S. immigration policy is governed largely by the Immigration and Nationality Act. This current U.S. policy has two major aspects: the first “facilitates migration flows of foreign nationals into the United States” and the second “focuses on immigration enforcement and removal,” as the U.S. Congress confirms in its primer on immigration policy. When Congress enacts public laws that affect immigration and nationality, it may amend INA sections or add new sections to the INA, or it may pass laws that do not change the INA, as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has confirmed. [...] The Immigration Act of 1990, which increased the number of people who could legally immigrate to the U.S. and provided Temporary Protected Status so asylum seekers could stay in the U.S. until conditions in their home countries improved The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program created by former President Barack Obama in 2012, which allowed certain young immigrants without status, who were brought to the United States as children, to apply for work authorization permits and protection from immediate deportation. The Trump administration ended DACA in 2017, but the federal courts – including the U.S. Supreme Court – have kept the program in place and the Biden administration published updated regulations in 2022. [...] Border policy (detailing that the administration will “marshal all available resources and authorities” to stop illegal immigration, including establishing a physical wall and deploying “sufficient personnel along the southern border of the United States to ensure complete operational control”) “Enhanced vetting and screening,” including for visa applicants and foreign nationals seeking admission to the U.S. Birthright citizenship (stating that this right does not automatically extend to certain persons born in the United States) The U.S.‑Mexico-Canada Agreement (as the order established an “America First Trade Policy”) Enforcement policies related to illegal entry (including for those seeking asylum, as this order revoked Biden-era executive orders)

• Primer on U.S. Immigration Policy - Congress.gov

  This report provides a broad overview of U.S. immigration policy. The first section addresses laws and policies governing how foreign nationals (aliens2) may enter the United States to either reside permanently or stay temporarily. Related topics within this section include visa issuance and security, naturalization (i.e., the process of obtaining U.S. citizenship), and discretionary permissions to enter or remain in the United States. The second section discusses enforcement policies for excluding certain foreign nationals from admission into the United States and for detaining and removing those who enter the country unlawfully or who enter lawfully but are charged with one of the INA's grounds of deportability. While intended to be comprehensive, this primer may omit some [...] The permanent immigration system provides foreign nationals with LPR status (commonly, a green card).13 Four major principles underlie the current system of permanent immigration: family reunification, U.S. labor market contribution, origin-country diversity, and humanitarian assistance. These principles are reflected in the different categories that provide LPR status under the INA. Family reunification occurs primarily through family-sponsored immigration. U.S. labor market contribution occurs through employment-based immigration. Origin-country diversity is addressed through the diversity immigrant visa. Humanitarian assistance occurs primarily through the U.S. refugee program and asylum. These permanent immigration pathways are discussed further below. [...] typically include foreign residency requirements and often limit what aliens are permitted to do while in the country (e.g., work, enroll in school).

• Immigration policy of the United States - Wikipedia

  Federation policy oversees and regulates immigration to the United States and citizenship of the United States. The United States Congress has authority over immigration policy in the United States, and it delegates enforcement to the Department of Homeland Security. Historically, the United States went through a period of loose immigration policy in the early-19th century followed by a period of strict immigration policy in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. Policy areas related to the immigration process include visa policy, asylum policy, and naturalization policy. Policy areas related to illegal immigration include deferral policy and removal policy. ## Policy development [edit] [...] code of United States immigration law, and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 repealed the quota system that was used to limit immigration from each country. [...] for immigration courts to be moved to the judicial branch to prevent abuse by strengthening separation of powers.

• U.S. Immigration Policy Lags behind a Globalizing World

  Why is the United States falling behind in attracting immigrants? The basic answer is that the United States has a very restrictive legal immigration system. The basic structure of U.S. immigration policy—which has remained virtually unchanged since the 1960s—permits permanent legal immigration from abroad only by a narrow set of categories: [...] Economic globalization has made little impact on U.S. immigration policy in recent decades. The United States has not expanded its low green card caps since 1990, and now it ranks in the bottom third of wealthy countries for its foreign-born share of the population. Blaming immigrant labor force growth for sluggish wage growth is misplaced when—despite immigration—total labor force growth has continuously declined for decades. Globalization and automation are not removing the need for immigrant workers to fill niches created by declining U.S. labor force growth. Instead, immigrants are playing pivotal roles in making trade and technological progress possible. [...] A better approach would focus on permitting more legal immigration. Caps should not remain static for generations but rather expand with economic conditions and to counteract falling population growth. The executive branch should drop the restrictive interpretations of the statutes Congress has adopted and focus on expanding permissible avenues for legal entry and residence. With ballooning populations of displaced people worldwide and historic labor demand in the United States, the country has a unique opportunity to expand the labor force to meet the needs of its growing economy in the 21st century. U.S. Immigration Policy Lags behind a Globalizing World U.S. Immigration Policy Lags behind a Globalizing World TOP

• Immigration Policy Changes in 2025: Justice Denied During the First ...

  ### Topics Federal Administrative Advocacy Donald Trump marked his return to office for his second term on Jan. 20, 2025, by immediately issuing multiple executive orders and policies that severely restricted immigration and immigrants’ rights in the United States. The pace of policy change did not ease during the year that followed. This resource provides an overview of what happened in 2025 in various aspects of immigration law and policy, how it impacted CLINIC’s network of legal services providers across the country, and how to get involved in advocacy in 2026. Click to Download Resource Immigration Policy Changes in 2025 Justice Denied During the First Year of the Second Trump Administration.2026.0121.pdf Share this page email facebook linkedin twitter ## Related Content [...] Subscribe Log in About Us + 35th Anniversary + Accountability + Catholic Identity + Employment Opportunities + History + Join the Network + Our Board + Our Staff Advocacy Find Legal Help + Affiliate Directory + Religious Immigration Services Immigration Topics + Current Issues + Practitioner Toolkits + Press Releases + Resource Library + Stories of Immigration Training + Calendar + CLINIC Convening 2026 + Frequently Asked Questions + Partial to Full Accreditation Initiative + Webinar Archive DONATE Search ## Breadcrumbs ## Immigration Policy Changes in 2025: Justice Denied During the First Year of the Second Trump Administration ### Last Updated January 21, 2026 ### Topics Federal Administrative Advocacy [...] Providing direct representation for asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border and educating them about their rights; Reuniting formerly separated families; Increasing legal representation for those in removal proceedings and in detention; Providing public education on immigration law and policies; and Advocating for fair and just immigration policies that acknowledge the inherent dignity and value of all people. History has taught us that people who step up can make a difference. We hope you will join us. ## Make a Monthly Donation It's quick and simple ## Support a Scholarship Help representatives gain crucial training ## About the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.