The following is by Katherine Telford, who was an intern at CIS this summer:

The immigration bill passed by the Senate in June has been a topic of hot debate for months, and continues to be a source of political controversy. It is often, however, portrayed as a moral issue rather than an issue centered on facts. Various religious groups, including Evangelicals and Catholics, have manipulated the problem of immigration in the United States to be a doctrinal issue. Although I do not view the issue as theological, I investigated the bill from a moral perspective. However, I reached a drastically different conclusion regarding the humanity of large-scale amnesty than those critical of individuals opposing S.744. Read more...

Written by intern Russ Doubleday

Adding their voices to the already crowded debate on illegal immigration, a group of panelists presenting at the Brookings Institution last Thursday, July 8th defended a liberal reform of our immigration system, both legal and illegal. Read more...

Written by intern Russ Doubleday

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano recently announced several new border protection initiatives in a renewed attempt to secure the Southwest border in Arizona. She laid out these strategies at a symposium sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies last Wednesday, June 23.

"No one is happy with the status quo [on immigration and the border]," Napolitano said. "I'm certainly not and neither is the president." Read more...

Written by Matt Graham

Nobody disputes that almost all Americans can trace their ancestry to immigrants, but in public debates on immigration, the agreement often stops there. Even catchphrases like "nation of immigrants" are problematic – how should America balance its proud history as the land of opportunity against our nation's security and economic priorities? Read more...

Written by Betsey Sauer and Ani Grigorian

On June 11, the House Subcommittee of Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism held a hearing on the FY 2010 Budget for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard. The proposed budget allocates $5.77 billion to ICE, $1.3 billion to CBP, and $9.96 billion to the Coast Guard for the 2010 fiscal year. Read more...

Written by Matt Graham and edited by Betsy Sauer and Jon Feere

On June 3, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the Uniting American Families Act of 2009 (H.R. 1024, S. 424). Under current U.S. immigration law, citizens engaged in a same-sex partnership with a foreigner have no legal channel to sponsor their partner’s attempt to gain legal permanent residence in the United States. In response, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) have introduced the act in their respective chambers. This is the sixth time a version of the bill has been introduced. From 2000 to 2005, it was known as the Permanent Partners Immigration Act. Read more...