From the time of our nation’s founding, immigration has been crucial to the growth of the United States, yet also a source of conflict.While there has been no significant movement toward federal immigration reform to address unauthorized immigration since 2007, there has been a wave of controversial legislation at the state level, most notably with the passage of statutes in Arizona and Alabama that have authorized state officials to enforce immigration laws.
The federal government has been paralyzed in enacting immigration reform.Those opposed to a pathway for legal status for unauthorized immigrants express moral outrage about unauthorized immigrants breaking the law, job competition, wage pressures, the perceived social costs of unauthorized immigrants, and border security. Proponents of a pathway to legal status, on the other hand, argue that there should be justice for individuals who have been members of their communities for decades and focus on the contributions that unauthorized immigrants have made to U.S. growth and prosperity.
This symposium provides a multi-disciplinary exploration of these issues that is thoughtful, intellectually rigorous, and provocative.