Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees - GCIR

Spring 2011 Policy Update

Despite lots of attention and heated debate about our nation's broken immigration system, comprehensive immigration reform did not become a reality when Congress adjourned at the end of 2010. Congress could not reach an agreement even on partial but critically important measures, such as the DREAM Act that would have allowed undocumented students who have graduated from high school to earn eventual legal status by completing two years of college or serving in the U.S. military.

In the abscence of any bipartisan consensus on comprehensive immigration reform, immigrant communities and American businesses continue to face expanding and harsh enforcement measures at the federal and state levels.

In this policy update, six immigration policy advocates from across the country share their perspectives and insights on federal and state legislative or administrative actions coming down the pike during these challenging times for immigrants and refugees. We hope their analyses will inform your understanding of the current policy climate and invite you to let us know what information would be helpful to you in the future.

The opinions expressed in this policy update are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of GCIR, its members, and funders.

Read the Spring 2011 Policy Update