MPI Releases Report on Immigration Policy Changes During Trump Administration

The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) published a new capstone report examining executive orders issued and actions taken by the Trump administration that affect immigration. 

From the introduction of the report:

The Trump administration set an unprecedented pace for executive action on immigration. In four years, it completed 472 executive actions affecting U.S. immigration policy, with 39 more proposed but unimplemented when the administration ended. Some of these changes were sweeping—undoing the priorities of the entire interior enforcement apparatus, for example—while others were smaller, more technical adjustments—such as lengthening the amount of time an asylum seeker had to wait to receive a work permit, or requiring more extensive information on visa applications. Donald Trump was the only presidential candidate in modern U.S. history to run and win on an immigration-centered platform. And while his administration may not have delivered on his most extreme promises, such as deporting millions of unauthorized immigrants or building a wall along the entire, 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border, changes to the immigration system during his tenure—some of which are likely to remain on the books for years to come—successfully narrowed grants of humanitarian protection, increased enforcement, and made legal immigration more difficult. These actions were often carried out in the name of protecting U.S. national security and promoting economic advancement for U.S. workers.

The authors of the report go on to say:

While it may be possible for subsequent administrations to rescind many of these changes, others cannot simply be unwound. Many are likely to remain on the books for years to come, with a lasting impact on the U.S. immigration system.

Report available here: https://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/four-years-change-immigration-trump

Austin Kocher