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Immigration and Emigration

q&a

Immigration and Border Control Explained: What Americans Need to Know
Exactly how to think about and handle the ongoing crisis at the U.S. southern border and immigration more generally will certainly be among the most critical issues on the agenda when the next U.S. president is sworn in in January. To better understand the issue of border control and immigration, we spoke to two RAND experts.
Sep 20, 2024

commentary

The Crisis at the Border: A Primer for Confused Americans
A holistic update to U.S. immigration laws—based on American immigration needs and the factors that are driving people to make the dangerous trek to cross the border—would be politically challenging. But it would help reduce the numbers of daily migrants and the challenges that migration poses to receiving localities.
Feb 28, 2024
commentary

Escaping Afghanistan
As of April 2023, about 152,000 Special Immigrant Visa applicants remain trapped in Afghanistan. Despite many recommendations and bipartisan support for reforming the program, only minor tweaks have been made. Meanwhile, the dangerously slow process has become practically a death sentence.
Aug 14, 2023
commentary

Immigrant Location Policies Can Be Done Right, but That Isn't Happening Right Now
Sudden influxes of migrants across the southwest U.S. border are not new, but they are also increasing. Immigration relocation policies are likely one of the best ways to address migrant surges if done in an organized, humane, and thoughtful way.
Jan 19, 2023
commentary

Addressing Immigration Doesn't End at the Border—Schools Need Help
All children in the United States have a right to a public education, regardless of their immigration status. But schools are not funded or staffed adequately to support a growing student population or to handle sudden surges in enrollment due to large numbers of displaced children arriving at the border.
Nov 1, 2021
commentary

The Public Charge Rule's Likely Hazard to Our Nation's Health During COVID-19
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.
Apr 6, 2020
commentary

Common Sense Solutions to the Border Crisis
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?
May 2, 2019
commentary

Hadrian's Wall Was a Policy Statement; So Is Donald Trump's
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.
Mar 6, 2019
blog

State of the Union 2019: Insights from RAND
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.
Feb 6, 2019
commentary

What Border Walls Can and Cannot Accomplish
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?
Jan 8, 2019
commentary

Berlin Protests Highlight Need for Sound Employment Discrimination Laws in Germany
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.
Nov 15, 2018
commentary

A Threat to Immigrant Health Care with Potential Consequences for All
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.
Oct 12, 2018
commentary

Restoring Asylum Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence
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.
Jun 25, 2018
commentary

New Border Policy Could Have Unintended Consequences
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.
May 21, 2018
commentary

The Immigration Debate: Building a Bridge Across the Deportation-Amnesty Divide
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.
Feb 28, 2018
commentary

Prioritizing Security at the U.S. Border with Mexico
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.
Jan 29, 2018
commentary

The Big Border Security Question
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.
Dec 9, 2017
commentary

Broken Border or Broken Policy?
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.
Nov 17, 2017
commentary

Professional Expectations, Families and Brexit Shape Future for UK International Researchers
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.
May 5, 2017
essay

Migrant Crisis in the Mediterranean: What You Need to Know
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.
May 2, 2017
commentary

Why a Travel Restriction Won't Stop Terrorism at Home
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.
Feb 10, 2017
commentary

Understanding and Addressing the Unaccompanied Minor Immigration Issue
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.
Apr 22, 2016
commentary

Walls Won't Keep Us Safe
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.
Apr 15, 2016
commentary

If Terrorism Is Homegrown, a Visa Overhaul Won't Keep Americans Safe
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.
Dec 7, 2015
commentary

Putting a Human Face on the Refugee Crisis
By welcoming and accepting refugees, the West can send their oppressors a message about what it means to be a free democratic society.
Sep 15, 2015
commentary

Should Undocumented Immigrant Youth Pay In-State Tuition to Attend College?
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.
Jul 28, 2015
q&a

How to Solve the Mediterranean's Migrant Crisis
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.
May 28, 2015
commentary

The Forgotten Cornerstone in the Immigration Reform Debate
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.
Apr 30, 2015
commentary

What Does It Take to Rescue Migrants at Sea?
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.
Apr 23, 2015
blog

State of the Union 2014: President Obama Calls for a Year of Action
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.
Jan 29, 2014
commentary

Challenges and Opportunities Ahead for New Homeland Security Secretary
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.
Oct 24, 2013
commentary

Border Security Is Key to Immigration Reform
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.
Jul 15, 2013
commentary

Is Enforcement Key to Fixing America's Immigration System?
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.
Feb 15, 2013
blog

The State of the Union 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.
Feb 13, 2013
commentary

Legalization and Border Security: Are We There Yet?
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?
Feb 7, 2013
blog

Potential Path to Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants Takes Shape
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.
Jan 31, 2013
commentary

Immigration Needs a Hybrid Fix
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.
Nov 2, 2012
blog

Farsighted Leadership in a Shortsighted World: 9 Issues That Deserve Attention During the 2012 U.S. Presidential Debates and Beyond
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.
Sep 24, 2012
commentary

A Brain Drain Threatens Afghanistan's Future
Published commentary by RAND staff: A Brain Drain Threatens Afghanistan's Future, in the International Herald Tribune.
Feb 9, 2006
commentary

One More Embrace, Then Slam the Door
Published commentary by RAND staff.
May 1, 2005

Quoted

The [Israel-Hamas] war has exacerbated a divide in American politics. Historically, Israel enjoyed wide bipartisan support. That's no longer the case with more progressives and younger voters questioning this core tenet of U.S. foreign policy. The Gaza war has certainly exacerbated this shift and it's going to continue to influence the politics of American support for years to come

Raphael S. Cohen

Director, Strategy and Doctrine Program, RAND Project AIR FORCE, and Director of the Pardee RAND Graduate School National Security Program
Source: rand.org
While there have sometimes been intense policy debates, American support for Israel was historically bipartisan. Judging by the reaction to the Gaza war at many of the leading college campuses—the crucible of future leaders—Western attitudes will only further harden against Israel. Israel has an American problem that it will struggle to effectively address.

Brian Michael Jenkins

Senior Adviser to the RAND President
Source: rand.org