Immigration Policy

1
Immigration Policy

• Cohen Chapter 4

2

• America as a country of immigrants
• Only over the last two decades immigration began
  to have an impact similar to trade on the
  politics of globalization
• The issue of controlling the borders in 1980s and
  1990s
• Illegal immigrants were illegally benefiting from
  programs funded by the American tax payers
• The emergence of immigration restriction movement

3

• This movement was backed by some politicians
  such as Pat Buchanan and Ross Perot
• What factors led to the emergence of this
  movement?
• The growing number of immigrants crossing the
  borders from
• Mexico economic problems and Mexico and economic
  growth in the US ( Cheap labor)
• Central Latin American in 1980s (Because of the
  civil wars)

4

• The immigration restriction movement or coalition
  includes
• Cultural nationalist Ethnic makeup
• Trade unions Lower wages Lost jobs
• Environmentalists Population controls
• State governments Strains on public budget
• Another Coalition emerged to block the more
  radical moves toward border control, which
  includes

5

• Business community
• Foreign Policy Establishment
• Human Rights groups
• This group employ the mythology of America as a
  land of hope and opportunity to counter border
  control argument
• But what this group is defending is illegal
  immigration
• The immigration restriction movement began to
  include legal immigration as well

6

• NAFTA and the debate on immigration Policy
• The California Ballot Proposition 187 denied
  all illegal immigrants access to social benefits
  
• Pro immigration groups were also active and
  mobilized their support nationally. Governor
  Bush, Jr
• The Federal court blocked the implementation of
  The California Ballot Proposition 187 in 1997

7

• The 1996 Immigration Reform and Welfare Reform
  acts and the distinction between citizen and
  non-citizens
• Congress imposed broad new restrictions on legal
  immigrants' access to public benefits
• What accounts for the success of immigration
  restriction movement ?
• A long nativist tradition to the large influx of
  migrants. Most migrants are Hispanic and Asian
• The concern about the declining in the standard
  of living
• A backlash against the welfare state

8

• What factors contributed to the growth of
  migration around the globe?
• Push factors
• Civil wars
• Political conflict and instability
• Repression
• Pull Factors
• The growth of multinational corporations
• The existence of networks support to facilitate
  transportation and settlement for immigrants
• Economic prosperity

9

• Evolution of immigration laws
• 1880s Laws banning Chinese immigration
• Laws passed in the early 1900s were determined by
  who could better assimilate Encouraged Western
  European countries and discouraged Eastern and
  Southern European countries
• 1929 National Origin Act annual quotas of
  150,000 immigrants, only 30 from Eastern and
  Southern European countries

10

• 1952 McCarran-Walter Act a. revised the National
  Origin Act, allowing people of all races to be
  eligible for immigration. b) Ideology became a
  criterion for admission
• 1965 Immigration Act Abolished quotas that
  discriminated against nationalities.
• 1980 Refugee Act Allow president to admit
  refugees in time of emergency and also limit the
  number of refugees allowed to enter.
• 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act Designed
  to stop flow of illegal immigrants from Latin
  America by imposing sanctions against employers
  who hire illegal immigrants

11

• 1990 Immigration Act increased number of
  immigrants allowed by nearly 40
• 1996 Immigration Act Focused on immigration
  control and immigrants rights
• Figure 5-1
• Table 5-1