What to Know on Immigration

BPC Immigration Director Theresa Brown and Press Secretary Jordan LaPier examine the question, “what ever happened to comprehensive immigration reform?” They discuss the failure of past comprehensive efforts and future opportunities for smaller reform pairings, the clash between policy and politics that makes compromise difficult, and the consequences of inaction on immigration.

Our fourth episode of "What You Need to Know on Immigration" covers so-called “sanctuary cities” and their place in the politics of immigration. BPC’s Theresa Brown and Jordan LaPier cover what exactly a sanctuary city is; the relationship between state, local, and federal law enforcement on immigration; and legal challenges to sanctuary cities (such as the high-profile “Kate’s Law” that recently passed in the House of Representatives).

In episode three of "What You Need to Know on Immigration," BPC's Jordan LaPier and Theresa Brown discuss the legal immigration temporary visa system. They cover background on who uses temporary visas and how, the politics of limiting or expanding the temporary visa caps, what the administration and others are saying about merit-based visa systems, and the growing issue of visa overstays.

In the second podcast of our series, “What You Need to Know on Immigration” covers the contentious issue of enforcement. Jordan LaPier talks with Immigration Project Director Theresa Brown about priorities for deportation under President Trump and how they differ from those of the Obama administration, how increased apprehensions affect the overall deportation system, and what the apprehension trends at the border might indicate (or not indicate) about President Trump’s immigration policies (including the wall).

August 15 marks the five-year anniversary of former President Obama’s executive action “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals,” or DACA. In the first of our series of “What You Need to Know on Immigration” podcasts, BPC Press Secretary Jordan LaPier sits down to talk DACA and DREAMers with Director of Immigration and Cross-Border Policy, Theresa Cardinal Brown. Listen for an expert analysis on where the program stands after five years, what the administration and Congress are doing, the legal ramifications of the program, and more.