Undocumented and exposed under a Trump presidency

By Alexa Mencia [A version of the story was originally published in The American Prospect.] Operating room nurse Jose Aguiluz knew that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was only a Band-Aid for his immigration problem. It wasn’t a pathway to citizenship. The benefits it offered were limited, temporary. But critically to Aguiluz, it was […]

New citizens welcomed in spooktacular ceremony

By Duke Omara Asonme Fozong bubbled with anticipation for the day she has long looked forward to. The 15-year-old, who was born in Cameroon, was about to become a U.S. citizen, although she has always felt like one since moving to the U.S. a decade ago. “It makes me feel real free and it gives […]

Citizenship backlog silences potential Illinois voters

citizenship oath ceremony

By Nona Tepper [A national version of the story was published in the Washington Post. Read it here: Yes, the election is rigged — against immigrants who should be able to vote but can’t] A growing citizenship backlog crisis may leave more than 17,000 Illinois residents unable to vote come November. The number of Illinois […]

H-1B Lottery: Foreign Workers’ Strategic Path to Immigration

By Yunfei Zhao International college students fully expect to go back home when they graduate — that’s the deal — except when it’s not. That’s when things get interesting for federal immigration officials running the H-1B visa program that allows international workers to take jobs at U.S. companies. Then, the deal is those jobs can […]