Immigration Reform
CMS’s work on immigration reform in the United States argues for a flexible, secure, and evidence-based immigration system that serves the nation’s interests, reflects its values, meets its international commitments, and maximizes the benefits immigrants bring to the US economy and society.
CMS has analyzed policies that affect several overlapping immigrant groups, including immigrant families, labor migrants, essential workers, unaccompanied children, the undocumented, asylum seekers, resettled refugees, the stateless, and those eligible for special legal status programs. Based on its research, CMS proposes reforms to US policies across a broad range of topics, including family-based immigration, legalization and special legal status programs, border policies, detention, immigration enforcement, access to public benefits, and labor standards enforcement. It has made extensive legislative, administrative, and programmatic proposals to federal, state, and local governments and to non-governmental organizations. It has also analyzed the implementation of important programs, such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and public benefit access in New York City.