Immigration is in the news every day, it seems, not to mention pervading social media. But for those whose work does not involve daily contact with immigration law and policy, understanding context and sorting fact from fiction in order to understand what is happening currently can be a challenge.
Two resources are available to provide baseline information to help you parse what you read and hear about refugees, immigrants, and immigration to the U.S., as well as about current U.S. policies on these issues.
The Pew Research Center has developed a series of five mini-lessons on past and current immigration data and policies, delivered to your in-box each day. Each email takes only a couple of minutes to read. You can learn more about the lessons here.
The Urban Institute issued Bringing Evidence to the Refugee Integration Debate, which includes background information on who refugees are, how they get to the U.S., recent policy changes under the Trump Administration, and information about their social and economic integration into and contributions to U.S. communities and the economy. You can find the report here.