United States Immigration Law

Immigration Background

The Office of the Chief Immigration Judge is the main source for legal oversight of immigration activities within the United States. An individual immigration judge will be responsible for coming to decisions on certain aspects of a non-citizen’s ability to maintain residence in the country. The subject of this decision may be able to appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals. Immigration law in this way can extend to the ability either to stay in or to enter the country.

New immigration laws

According to a study which was conducted in 2009, that year saw 222 new immigration laws adopted and passed throughout the United States. In addition to the current immigration laws, the same period also experienced the adoption of 131 resolutions as to immigration concerns on the part of American state legislatures. The US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services provide a centralized source of authority on current immigration laws, while political commentators have been anticipating the passage of new measures.

Title 22

Title 22 in terms of immigration issues can specifically be understood as referring to a section of Chapter 36 of the United States Code, as refers as a whole to the subject of Migration and Refugee Assistance. Title 22 is addressed specifically to the topic of “Refugees and migration.” Among other things, United States Code Title 22 addresses the ability of the United States government to cooperate with the International Organization for Migration, as well as appropriations for funds.

Immigrants

Numbers collected in 2007 indicated that during the specific period in the United States the country’s immigration population had expanded to the point of some 38 million people. A study which took place the next year showed that around a million immigrants became naturalized US citizens during that period. A wide range of concerns have been raised over immigrants, both those who are legal and illegal, in terms of such issues as immigration equality.

Immigrant issues

The immigration debate is considered an urgent and frequently polarizing issue in the modern American political landscape. In this regard, anti-immigration activists have been remarked upon for being particularly concerned over the issue of illegal immigration. Among the various immigration issues which have been raised, that of illegal and unsupervised entries into the country has aroused particular concern. The immigration debate has at times been observed as breaking into the right and left spectrums of American politics.

Immigration Law Studies

The non-profit Center for Immigration Studies does not carry out immigration law studies in an academic setting but instead focuses its effort on the advocacy end of reducing immigration to the United States. The Center for Immigration Studies has published books and articles and created videos expressing its opposition to what it deems high levels of immigration to the United States since its founding in 1985. The Center for Immigration Studies has given testimony to the U.S. Congress.

Immigration forms

Immigration forms can be provided by the government agency of the US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, a part of the larger United States Department of Homeland Security. Previous to this reorganization of the section of the federal government devoted to immigration issues, free immigration forms could be supplied by the United States Immigration and Naturalization, which administered immigration form services and other functions as a part of the Department of State. The transfer of responsibility from one organization to the other occurred in 2003.

Legal immigration vs. illegal immigration

Illegal immigration takes place when immigrants have not properly gone through the process of being certified for legal emigration to the United States through the offices of the federal government. By contrast, an act of legal immigration can occur after the individual in particular has contacted the appropriate government agency and received approval for such an action. Illegal immigration has been observed as being widely prevalent despite the law enforcement measures taken, as has not been addressed through systemic reform.

Immigration vs. emigration

Immigration and emigration have opposing meanings. Immigration consists of entry into a new country, while emigration is the act of leaving one’s current country. In this way, immigration and emigration can be thought of as representing a process, with the former following the latter. Immigration and emigration might also be defined as such in terms of the perspective of the observer. A 2009 study found over 8 million citizens abroad after going through emigration, excepting military service.

Immigration and naturalization

Immigration legislation can be traced back in United States history to the Naturalization Act of 1798, which was passed in the U.S Congress as a part of the wider legislative package of the Alien and Sedition Acts. This naturalization legislation required a longer period of time before an individual could become a citizen of the country, as was extended up to fourteen years. This legislation is generally ascribed by historians to the desire to reach political goals.

Immigration law software

Immigration Pro is one of the products offered on the market for use as immigration law software, in this way allowing people to gain information on the process of dealing with the governmental immigration services of the United States. In particular, immigration law software of this kind is used, whether by the prospective immigrant or immigration lawyer, for preparation in filling out the documents which provide for changes in immigration status, with over 180 possible forms to use.