Comprehensive US Immigration and Refugee Policy

Immigration and refugee policy exists at the intersection of domestic and foreign policy. Over the last year, the Trump administration has sought to restrict immigration and refugee resettlement to the United States and end policies protecting those already in the country – including terminating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, eliminating Temporary Protected Status for certain immigrants, restricting the number and type of refugees, and increasing deportations of immigrants without documents. A points system has been proposed by the current administration that would transform the overall US immigration system from primarily family-based to employment-based, and thus halve annual legal immigrant admissions. This task force will address the need for long-term reform of US immigration and refugee policy, looking into and beyond the current debate. It will critique different aspects of the US immigration, refugee, and asylum systems and make recommendations for their reform.