Skip to page content

Immigration and Emigration

Immigrants and Emigrants
commentary
The Public Charge Rule's Likely Hazard to Our Nation's Health During COVID-19
Kathryn Pitkin Derose
Apr 6, 2020
The Hill
The Public Charge rule makes immigrants who receive Medicaid and other publicly-funded benefits potentially ineligible for green cards, and, in some cases, subjects them to deportation. Fear and reluctance to seek assistance among immigrants is likely to worsen during the COVID-19 epidemic.
Read More »

Migrants
commentary
Common Sense Solutions to the Border Crisis
Blas Nunez-Neto
May 2, 2019
The Hill
After years of declines, apprehensions of undocumented immigrants at the U.S.–Mexico border are set for their largest year-on-year increase in history. There is, in fact, a humanitarian crisis on the border. How did this come about? More importantly, what can be done to address it?
Read More »
Border and Port Security
commentary
Hadrian's Wall Was a Policy Statement; So Is Donald Trump's
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Mar 6, 2019
United Press International
It's not clear if Hadrian's Wall was necessary to prevent Scottish fighters from invading the Roman Empire. Neither is it clear how effective Trump's wall would be at repelling undocumented immigration and smugglers. Hadrian's Wall may have been of symbolic value to those on both sides of it. Trump's could be, too.
Read More »
United States
blog
State of the Union 2019: Insights from RAND
Feb 6, 2019
To shed light on a wide range of topics that figured in President Trump's second State of the Union address, we've rounded up insights from some of RAND's objective and nonpartisan research, analysis, and expertise.
Read More »
Border and Port Security
commentary
What Border Walls Can and Cannot Accomplish
Raphael S. Cohen
Jan 8, 2019
Fox News Channel
States have been building walls since ancient times. Some were arguably quite successful, others less so. At the core of prudent policy lies a basic question: What can walls realistically accomplish?
Read More »
Substance Abuse Treatment
blog
Opioids, Summer Learning, Immigration: RAND Weekly Recap
Dec 7, 2018
This weekly recap focuses on heroin-assisted treatment and supervised consumption sites, helping schools build better summer learning programs, America's overwhelmed immigration system, and more.
Read More »
Migrants
commentary
America's Overwhelmed Immigration System
Blas Nunez-Neto
Dec 5, 2018
Dallas Morning News
The Trump administration's options to deal with the surge of asylum seekers arriving at the U.S. border appear to be limited. What policies could help address the problem?
Read More »
Migrants
commentary
Berlin Protests Highlight Need for Sound Employment Discrimination Laws in Germany
Laura Kupe
Nov 15, 2018
American Institute for Contemporary German Studies
Germany has a legal tradition and a strong constitution that promotes equality for all those living within its borders. That tradition could end up being a factor as German policymakers consider whether it is advantageous for the nation as a whole that the newest members of its society should have the necessary legal protections to succeed socially and economically.
Read More »
commentary
A Threat to Immigrant Health Care with Potential Consequences for All
Kathryn Pitkin Derose
Oct 12, 2018
The Hill
The proposed changes to the “public charge” rule could jeopardize decades of progress towards improved health care access and health for immigrants and U.S. citizens. Negative effects may include worse health outcomes, increased use of emergency rooms, and increased prevalence of communicable diseases.
Read More »
commentary
Restoring Asylum Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence
Douglas C. Ligor @DougLigor, Lisa H. Jaycox
Jun 25, 2018
The Hill
Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded asylum protections earlier this month for victims of domestic violence. The decision and the supporting analysis goes against decades of research on violence against women. Congress could reverse the decision by amending the asylum law.
Read More »
Immigration and Emigration
commentary
New Border Policy Could Have Unintended Consequences
Blas Nunez-Neto
May 21, 2018
United Press International
The Trump administration has announced significant policy changes to deter migrants from coming to America. These changes will likely have a significant impact on border operations and the federal court system. But it's less clear whether they will have the intended impact of reducing illegal immigration.
Read More »
commentary
The Immigration Debate: Building a Bridge Across the Deportation-Amnesty Divide
Douglas C. Ligor @DougLigor
Feb 28, 2018
The Hill
Discussions of U.S. immigration are dominated by arguments that pit “rule of law” proponents — focused on apprehension, detention, and deportation — against “humanitarian” supporters seeking a pardon or amnesty that will allow immigrants to stay in the country. Minor changes to the statute known as “Cancellation of Removal” could offer a compromise.
Read More »
Border and Port Security
commentary
Prioritizing Security at the U.S. Border with Mexico
Blas Nunez-Neto
Jan 29, 2018
U.S. News & World Report
As debate on border security continues, policymakers would be wise to look beyond the heated rhetoric to clearly identify priorities and make informed decisions about how best to deploy finite resources to get the strongest security for the investment.
Read More »
Border and Port Security
commentary
The Big Border Security Question
Blas Nunez-Neto
Dec 9, 2017
U.S. News & World Report
What does a secure U.S.-Mexico border look like? And what kind of security measures are needed? Despite investing billions of dollars since 9/11, it's still a struggle to measure how effective U.S. border security operations are.
Read More »
Border and Port Security
commentary
Broken Border or Broken Policy?
Blas Nunez-Neto
Nov 17, 2017
U.S. News & World Report
What does a secure land border look like? The U.S. government's inability to provide an answer has trapped America in a vicious cycle. Every decade, the perception that the U.S.-Mexico border isn't secure enough leads to big investments—with mixed results.
Read More »
commentary
Professional Expectations, Families and Brexit Shape Future for UK International Researchers
Susan Guthrie, Catherine A. Lichten
May 5, 2017
Times Higher Education
Mobility has become an even higher priority for researchers since the results of the UK’s EU referendum, Brexit. To continue to attract and keep top talent, the UK needs to understand how and why researchers move between countries.
Read More »
Migrants
essay
Migrant Crisis in the Mediterranean: What You Need to Know
May 2, 2017
The countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea are facing unprecedented stress. A former lieutenant with the Italian Navy is now a RAND researcher, working to help others appreciate the scope of the crisis.
Read More »
Domestic Terrorism
commentary
Why a Travel Restriction Won't Stop Terrorism at Home
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Feb 10, 2017
The Hill
It's not unreasonable to seek a review of immigration, and refugee-vetting procedures make sense. But America's jihadist terrorists are not imported from abroad. They are mostly homegrown.
Read More »
Immigration and Emigration
commentary
Would a Border Wall Be Effective?
Scott Savitz
Sep 26, 2016
Dallas Morning News
A wall along the U.S. border with Mexico would be a wasteful endeavor. Like many walls throughout history, it would probably be undermined by tunnels. And in general, fences and walls don't prevent people from crossing boundaries. They merely slow people down.
Read More »
Immigration and Emigration
commentary
Understanding and Addressing the Unaccompanied Minor Immigration Issue
Ernesto F. L. Amaral, Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein
Apr 22, 2016
The Hill
The number of unaccompanied child immigrants apprehended at the U.S. southwest border is on the rise again, the majority of them coming not from Mexico, but from Central America. Research could provide valuable information to policymakers as they try to find ways to help young immigrants.
Read More »
Border and Port Security
commentary
Walls Won't Keep Us Safe
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein
Apr 15, 2016
U.S. News & World Report
Experience along the U.S. southern border demonstrates that even with fortifications, a wall provides only modest capacity to stop illegal crossings. More emphasis should be placed on expanding border security beyond the physical dimension.
Read More »
Domestic Terrorism
commentary
If Terrorism Is Homegrown, a Visa Overhaul Won't Keep Americans Safe
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Dec 7, 2015
The Guardian
Despite being the focus of renewed scrutiny, only three people involved in terrorist incidents have entered the United States via the visa waiver program in the past quarter-century.
Read More »
Refugees
commentary
Putting a Human Face on the Refugee Crisis
Obaid Younossi
Sep 15, 2015
Fox News Channel
By welcoming and accepting refugees, the West can send their oppressors a message about what it means to be a free democratic society.
Read More »
Immigrants and Emigrants
commentary
Should Undocumented Immigrant Youth Pay In-State Tuition to Attend College?
Robert Bozick
Jul 28, 2015
The RAND Blog
Undocumented children are entitled to free primary and secondary public education everywhere in the United States, regardless of their legal status. But when they finish high school, their options for college vary depending on the state in which they live.
Read More »
Migrants
q&a
How to Solve the Mediterranean's Migrant Crisis
Giacomo Persi Paoli
May 28, 2015
Destroying smugglers' vessels could contribute to reducing illegal migration and impact the business model that makes smuggling so profitable. But it won't stop smuggling altogether.
Read More »
commentary
The Forgotten Cornerstone in the Immigration Reform Debate
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein, Martina L. Melliand
Apr 30, 2015
The Hill
The Executive Office for Immigration Review manages the U.S. immigration court system and thereby plays a pivotal role in assuring the timely processing of foreign nationals and the security of the nation and its borders. It should not be left out of discussions of immigration reform.
Read More »
Migrants
commentary
What Does It Take to Rescue Migrants at Sea?
Giacomo Persi Paoli
Apr 23, 2015
The RAND Blog
European Union leaders gathered today for an emergency summit to discuss a concerted response to the humanitarian disaster unfolding in the Mediterranean Sea. As a former officer serving aboard an Italian Navy warship deployed in Operation Mare Nostrum in November 2013, Giacomo Persi Paoli is well aware of the challenges.
Read More »
blog
State of the Union 2014: President Obama Calls for a Year of Action
Jan 29, 2014
Obama called for “a year of action” to achieve his 2014 agenda — from helping people sign up for health insurance, to immigration reform, to completing the mission in Afghanistan. RAND is committed to raising the level of public policy debates and offering evidence-based, actionable solutions.
Read More »
Homeland Security Legislation
commentary
Challenges and Opportunities Ahead for New Homeland Security Secretary
Henry H. Willis @HenryHWillis
Oct 24, 2013
The RAND Blog
To ensure the Department of Homeland Security makes progress in the current constrained budget environment, its new secretary must put in place a strategic perspective to guide priorities for how to address the country's most pressing problems in disaster management, immigration reform, cybersecurity, violent extremism, and nuclear terrorism.
Read More »
commentary
Border Security Is Key to Immigration Reform
Henry H. Willis @HenryHWillis, K. Jack Riley @K_Jack_Riley
Jul 15, 2013
Houston Chronicle
Two important aspects of border security bear continued attention: strategy must be developed as one part of a holistic system of immigration management and any progress on improving this system is reliant on having concrete and sensible objectives and measures of success.
Read More »
commentary
Is Enforcement Key to Fixing America's Immigration System?
Andrew R. Morral @AndrewMorral, Peter Brownell
Feb 15, 2013
CNN
The current debate regarding comprehensive immigration reform offers an opportunity to redesign the worksite immigration enforcement system to achieve more efficient enforcement with better intelligence on where undocumented workers are employed, say Andrew Morral and Peter Brownell.
Read More »
United States
blog
The State of the Union 2013
Feb 13, 2013
The 2013 SOTU address will be remembered for its impassioned call for greater gun control just two months after Sandy Hook. But President Obama's second-term agenda can be characterized by its sheer breadth, reflecting the broad range of policy challenges facing the United States today.
Read More »
Border and Port Security
commentary
Legalization and Border Security: Are We There Yet?
Peter Brownell
Feb 7, 2013
The RAND Blog
The White House and a bipartisan group of senators recently unveiled proposals for comprehensive immigration reform. The proposal raises a number of questions, says Peter Brownell: How would success in securing the border actually be determined? Would it mean absolutely zero unauthorized immigration across U.S. borders?
Read More »
blog
Potential Path to Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants Takes Shape
Jan 31, 2013
A group of U.S. Senators this week unveiled a proposal to reform the nation's immigration laws, outlining a path to citizenship for most of the nation's estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants and endorsing an increase of certain types of foreign-born workers.
Read More »
commentary
Immigration Needs a Hybrid Fix
James P. Smith
Nov 2, 2012
The Orange County Register
Is there a way out of the dilemma? I think there is: a simultaneous combination of a pathway to citizenship for most undocumented immigrants already here and a serious commitment to enforce the law without ambiguity in the future, writes James P. Smith.
Read More »
blog
Farsighted Leadership in a Shortsighted World: 9 Issues That Deserve Attention During the 2012 U.S. Presidential Debates and Beyond
Sep 24, 2012
For nearly 65 years, RAND has cultivated the farsighted perspectives required to address the big, long-term public policy issues. In an effort to look beyond the 2012 U.S. election and promote “farsighted leadership in a shortsighted world,” the latest edition of the RAND Corporation’s magazine offers commentaries that transcend partisan rhetoric and foster policies that both presidential candidates could well accept.
Read More »
commentary
One More Embrace, Then Slam the Door
James P. Smith
May 1, 2005
Los Angeles Times
Published commentary by RAND staff.
Read More »