This week’s episode of Parsing Immigration Policy features Steve Robinson, editor-in-chief of the Maine Wire, a digital investigative news outlet, who joins our guest host, Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies. The two experts discuss how Chinese criminal organizations have established illegal weed grows using trafficked labor of illegal aliens, and the effect on Maine communities.Robinson has been investigating this problem for months, since the existence of hundreds of rural Maine properties was revealed in a leaked federal law enforcement memo. Robinson reveals what he has learned about the Chinese drug crime operations in Maine — how they have taken advantage of Maine’s rural sanctuary environment and how they skirt all manner of laws, ordinances, taxes, and regulations, and even steal electricity, to make a profit.While state lawmakers failed in this year’s session to pass a “Little RICO” law or other measures to nip this activity, at least one small town has implemented a tough ordinance that could put some of the illegal operations out of business.But Robinson points out why state and federal authorities must also act: “The marijuana is a means to an end, and the end is funding a criminal organization,” and one that potentially represents a significant threat to our national security. As Robinson and Vaughan discuss, not only could these operations diminish opportunities and destroy the quality of life for some Mainers, they also are linked to large-scale money laundering for the Mexican cartels and to the Chinese government.HostJessica Vaughan is the Director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestSteve Robinson is the Editor-in-chief of the Maine Wire.RelatedTriad Weed: A Maine Wire Investigative SeriesSteve Robinson's Twitter AccountSteve Robinson's Author Page at the Maine WireIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

In this week’s episode of Parsing Immigration Policy, Todd Bensman, the Center’s senior national security fellow, joins us live from Juarez, Mexico. Bensman takes us into La Linea Cartel territory, where he is investigating the smuggling of dangerous criminals into the United States. Reporting from the Mexican side of the border, opposite El Paso, Bensman offers a firsthand account of migrant activity from the area where just two weeks ago hundreds of migrants pushed past Texas law enforcement in a daring charge to reach the Border Patrol, which they know will quickly process and release them. Other migrants – especially on the west side of Juarez, opposite Democratic-run New Mexico – are “runners”, illegal aliens who do not turn themselves in because of criminal histories or warrants.Bensman witnesses the operation launched by the Mexican president to round up migrants and move them hundreds of miles south. This operation, involving hundreds of officers from across Mexico, utilizes minibuses deployed to key border areas. It forms part of a deal with the Biden administration, where Mexico has demanded $20 billion annually to address the so-called “root causes” of migration in Latin America and the Caribbean, the lifting of sanctions on Cuba and Venezuela, and the granting of amnesty to millions of Mexican illegal immigrants in the U.S.On the Texan side of the border, Bensman describes a surge in fencing construction, with miles of infrastructure being erected to deter illegal crossings. Texas authorities employ a variety of non-lethal tactics, including the use of pepper balls, to control crowds. However, despite these efforts, vulnerabilities persist, as evidenced by American contractors patching holes in the fence throughout the day, every day.In his closing commentary, Mark Krikorian, the Center’s executive director and podcast host, highlights the Biden administration once again teasing that it is going to do something dramatic to control the border. Of course, the president has always had the authority to limit who comes into the country, but has chosen not to.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestTodd Bensman is the National Security Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies.RelatedTerrifying report on how ‘pedophiles and killers’ pay smugglers $5,000 to sneak them across the borderMexican President Blackmails Biden over the BorderInside ‘Zone 47’: Biden’s Ruthless Mexico Immigration Crackdown Is Working, but Media Won’t Tie Him to ItBiden again teases to do something he always could do – close the border.FollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, Google Podcasts, or use the podcast's RSS Feed.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

The starting point of any conversation about immigration should be the numbers. This week’s episode of the Center for Immigration Studies podcast highlights a recent report co-authored by Steven Camarota, the Center’s director of research, which examines the number and share of the foreign-born in the United States.The total foreign-born population, encompassing both legal and illegal immigrants, has soared to a record high of 51.4 million as of February 2024, marking a monumental increase of 6.4 million since President Biden assumed office. This increase has driven the foreign-born share to an unprecedented 15.5% of the population, eclipsing historical benchmarks like that seen in 1910 and reaching a level that the Census Bureau had estimated the country would not reach until 2039.Camarota discusses the impact of policy decisions on immigration trends, noting, “This level of growth over such a short period of time was clearly caused by policy changes.” He emphasizes that “without new policies, there is no reason to believe there will be a slowdown in population growth in the future.”The implication of these historically high numbers, coupled with the growing share of the immigration population, impacts crucial aspects of American society, including assimilation, linguistic integration, and the economy. Camarota highlights the changing demographics – greater proportion of Latin American immigrants, more illegal immigrants, and a trend towards lower educational attainment.Camarota is especially concerned about education levels, as education is a key indicator of how people will fare in the modern economy – including factors such as employment potential, salary level, taxes paid, public benefits used, etc.He also underscores the distinction between the size of the economy (GDP) and its per capita performance, discussing how per capita GDP can be adversely affected despite overall economic expansion from an increase in population.In his closing commentary, Mark Krikorian, the Center’s executive director and podcast host, draws attention to Biden’s CHNV parole program. In just 14 months, this program has permitted an estimated 386,000 foreign nationals to enter the country who have no legal right to be here and who present special security challenges.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestSteven Camarota is the Director of Research at the Center for Immigration Studies.RelatedThe Foreign-Born Share and Number at Record HighsWhat is CHNV Parole - and Why Should You Care?FollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

In today’s episode of Parsing Immigration Policy, Elizabeth Jacobs, the Center’s Director of Regulatory Affairs and Policy, does a deep dive into her recent analysis of the new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) fee schedule, set to take effect on April 1, 2024.Jacobs discusses how the 2024 fee rule is being leveraged to advance Biden's policy objectives, ignoring the requirement that USCIS fees should be commensurate with the costs of processing specific applications.As USCIS faces increased demands and backlogs, the implications of these fee adjustments extend beyond revenue generation, influencing immigration policies and pathways far into the future.Key takeaways:Fees for immigration services for employers and entrepreneurs are set disproportionately high to offset new discounts and exemptions for other benefits, including USCIS' growing humanitarian docket. This shift in fee determination from a proportional to an ability-to-pay model is reminiscent of Karl Marx's philosophy of "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs."The majority of naturalization applicants will receive a significant discount, incentivizing certain voter demographics to become naturalized. USCIS will offer nearly a 50 percent discount to all N-400 (Application for Naturalization) applicants who demonstrate their household income is 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or less. Depending on size, a household income of as much as $124,800 annually would qualify for this discount. Jacobs estimates that roughly 65 percent of green card holders would qualify for the discount, generating a potential annual loss of revenue of $203 million.The types of immigration benefits subject to a fee waiver are significantly expanded. The rule significantly expanded the benefits that may be exempt from fees altogether – leaving fee-paying applicants and petitioners to cover the costs. USCIS reported forgoing $613 million in revenue in its FY 2016/17 fee review, and an astounding $1.494 billion in its FY 2019/2020 fee review. How much revenue will USCIS forgo as a result of fee waivers?The bottom line? This new fee structure passes significant costs – including the growing costs of the border crisis – to U.S. employers hiring legal foreign workers.In his closing commentary, Mark Krikorian, the Center’s Executive Director and host of the podcast, criticizes those on both sides of the immigration debate who have used the recent Baltimore bridge tragedy as an excuse to push their policy agendas.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestElizabeth Jacobs is the Director of Regulatory Affairs and Policy at the Center for Immigration Studies.RelatedDHS Delays Updating USCIS’s Fee Schedule, Exacerbating Agency’s Financial WoesUSCIS’s Fee Rule Inappropriately Transfers Cost of Broken Asylum System to US Employers52 Congressional Lawmakers Protest USCIS’s Proposed Fee ScheduleFollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

Campaign season is in full swing as the 2024 presidential election looms less than eight months away. According to a recent Gallup poll, immigration is considered the biggest issue facing the country, with a majority of Americans expressing disapproval of the president’s handling of the issue. In today’s episode of Parsing Immigration Policy, host Mark Krikorian, the Center’s executive director, dives into the politics of the immigration issue alongside journalist and author Mickey Kaus. As one of the earliest political bloggers and a democrat, Kaus brings a unique perspective to the conversation. The two men, each representing differing political viewpoints, engage in a thoughtful discussion on President Biden’s immigration policy choices.Will public opinion force Biden to adjust his stance on immigration and shift to the middle as the election approaches? Krikorian and Kaus explore the immigration goals of those on the left and examine potential strategies for achieving them.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestMickey Kaus is a political journalist.RelatedKausfiles on Substack Mickey Kaus on X FollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

Since September 2023, the Center for Immigration Studies has been on the forefront of reporting on the Biden administration direct-flight and parole program that has authorized the arrival of more than 320,000 inadmissible aliens through the CBP One app. The program allows migrants to take commercial passenger flights from foreign countries straight to their American cities of choice, without having to go to the southern land border. The program has largely operated under the radar until the Center filed a FOIA request, followed by litigation. The lawsuits continue – the Center is presently suing to have the administration release the names of the foreign airports and the receiving airports in the U.S.Todd Bensman, the Center’s national security fellow and author of the reporting on the flights, joins host Mark Krikorian on this episode of Parsing Immigration Policy to discuss misconceptions surrounding the program, clarifying that the government authorizes the inadmissible aliens to enter the country, but does not buy the tickets, and that while it is secretive, in that the administration has tried to minimize public and congressional attention to it, it is not a secret program.Last week some U.S. media outlets challenged characterizations of the CIS report by former President Trump and X owner Elon Musk along with various social media influencers – but not the factual bases of CIS reporting.Bensman also discusses the Center making the news again when 23 lawmakers from the House of Representatives cited the CIS reporting in a letter demanding an end to the secretive Biden government program as well as the names of the airports.U.S. cities are staggering under the burden of accommodating hundreds of thousands of needy immigrants. However, because of the stealth nature of this parole program, local officials are likely unaware that instead of attributing their challenges solely to Texas Governor Abbott, they should be directing their concerns to the White House. The Center remains steadfast in its commitment to ensure transparency and accountability and to provide state and local communities with information on this legally dubious parole program.In his closing commentary, Krikorian highlights a further disturbing aspect of this direct-flight parole program. Aliens wanting to take advantage of it must first secure a sponsor in the United States. As Nayla Rush, a senior researcher at the Center, explains in her timely blog, Parolees Paroling In More Parolees, those sponsors need not be U.S. citizens or aliens with green cards – earlier parolees, or recipients of Temporary Protected Status, or even foreign students are permitted to serve as sponsors. In other words, the Biden administration’s parole programs enable aliens allowed in temporarily and without formal legal status to effectively decide who receives the privilege of residing and working in the United States.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestTodd Bensman is a National Security Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies.RelatedGovernment Admission: Biden Parole Flights Create Security ‘Vulnerabilities’ at US AirportsFact Checking the Fact Check: CIS Reporting StandsLawmakers Cite CIS in Demanding End to Secretive Immigration FlightsBiden’s Media Allies Tried – and Failed – to Trash My ReportParolees Paroling In More ParoleesFollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

On this week’s episode of Parsing Immigration Policy, Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, joins us to discuss what states and other local jurisdictions can do to combat illegal immigration in wake of the Biden administration’s refusal to enforce immigration laws. Vaughan joins us from the Western States Sheriffs’ Association convention in Reno, Nev.Vaughan provides suggestions to states and localities on policies and laws that can be implemented to remove illegal aliens from their jurisdictions and make their communities less attractive to illegal aliens. It’s important for these jurisdictions to take action now to push back on what is happening on the federal level, but it’s also important if we get a new administration that takes immigration enforcement seriously. As Vaughan explains, the federal government can’t properly enforce the immigration law without cooperation from state and local governments.Certain states have passed state laws that combat illegal immigration. In Texas, the state legislature passed a law that would make illegal immigration to their state a crime, but the law has temporarily been put on hold by the Supreme Court. Vaughan urges states to go after the criminal infrastructure of illegal immigration, like what Florida did by passing tough anti-smuggling legislation.At the end of the episode, Vaughan shares what she has heard firsthand from sheriffs on how illegal immigration is impacting their communities. They are united in their concerns over public safety and upset that Biden has yet to meet with a sheriff. And this is an issue that is unlikely to improve anytime soon without federal action – Sheriff Mark Dannels of Cochise County, Ariz., which is a border county, says that border-related crime has risen from 5 percent of all crimes in his county to a whopping 44 percent in the last three years.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestJessica Vaughan is the Director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration StudiesRelatedMap: Sanctuary Cities, Counties, and StatesHow States Can Fight Human TraffickingFlorida Grand Jury: Biden Putting Alien Children in Harm’s WayRecommendations for State and Local Action on ImmigrationU Visas for Illegal-Alien Crime Victims: Yet Another Amnesty PloyBiden Border Policies Are Working Fine — For the CartelsNumbersUSA E-Verify MapFollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

President Biden and former President Trump are both scheduled to visit Texas border towns today, just as polling reveals widespread dissatisfaction with the president’s handling of the border and immigration. With the failure of the Senate border bill and growing concern over the record number of border crossers, news reports suggest President Biden may announce executive actions that would stem the border crisis his policies created.This week’s episode of Parsing Immigration Policy welcomes guest Andrew Arthur, the Center’s resident fellow in law and policy, who discusses one executive action that has been floated – barring aliens who enter illegally between ports of entry from being able to apply for asylum. Such a measure would replicate a previous regulation, the “Circumvention of Lawful Pathways” (CLAP) rule introduced in May 2023, that was designed not to lower border crossing numbers, but rather to “reduce wait times and crowds at U.S. ports of entry and allow for safe, orderly, and humane processing.” The rule faced legal challenges, notably in M.A. v. Mayorkas and East Bay Sanctuary Covenant v. Biden. A judge in the latter case, however, suggested that the administration may be talking tough to appease a public anxious for border action while not fighting vigorously to defend his own asylum rule.Arthur ponders whether such a ‘sue-and-settle’ scheme is now being hatched by the administration and advocacy groups. Could the president be floating tougher border rules in a political effort to appeal to voters, knowing that left-leaning advocacy groups will sue, allowing his administration to engage in settlement negotiations killing the rule if it is too unpopular with his base?Mark Krikorian, host of the podcast and executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, quotes circuit Judge Lawrence Van Dyke, who wrote in his East Bay Sanctuary Covenant dissent, “it looks like the administration and its frenemies on the other side of this case are colluding to avoid playing their politically fraught game during an election year.”In his closing commentary, Krikorian draws attention to security vulnerabilities at the Southwest border. He highlights the massive increase in Chinese nationals crossing in the San Diego area, where in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2024, 15 percent of all Border Patrol apprehensions were from China.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestAndrew Arthur is the Resident Fellow in Law and Policy at the Center for Immigration StudiesRelatedBiden Reportedly Considering Executive Action on Border CrisisSomehow, Biden’s Immigration and Border Polling Gets WorseChina is exploiting Biden’s lax border policies — imperiling US securityFollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

A Center for Immigration Studies report and companion podcast episode, “Can U.S. Farm Workers be Replaced by Machines? Mechanizing Fruit and Vegetable Production,” provide historical context as well as analysis of current challenges and prospects for farm labor and mechanization. Both the report and the discussion explain the options available to replace U.S. farm workers - machines, H-2A guestworkers, and imports.The report outlines how rising labor costs have historically driven the adoption of mechanization in agriculture. It traces the evolution of farm mechanization, from the end of the Bracero program in the 1960s to the present day, highlighting pivotal moments such as the enactment of the Immigration and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). IRCA supporters promised that legalized farm workers would demand higher wages, and that farm employers would have to raise wages and improve working conditions to retain legalized workers or hire H-2A guestworkers. But this did not happen, partly due to massive fraud.Philip Martin, professor emeritus of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California at Davis and author of the report, discusses how once legalized the workers left the fields for other employment and were replaced by new illegal workers. Since the passing of IRCA, which legalized more than one million illegal farm workers, the debate over the pay and work conditions of those in the fields and the role of mechanization has persisted.Martin emphasizes the pivotal role of government policies in impacting the growth of mechanization through labor-saving research, the cost of farm workers, and imports. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act (FWMA), approved by the U.S. House in March 2021 and re-introduced in July 2023, is the most recent legislation debated and repeats the IRCA bargain – legalization of illegal farmworkers for easier access to H-2A guestworkers.There is a race between labor-saving machines and migrant H-2A workers playing out amidst rising imports. Higher labor costs accelerate investments in machines to replace workers and spur government and private efforts to develop new farming systems, biological and engineering breakthroughs, and supply chain adjustments to accelerate labor-saving mechanization.Martin stresses, “Research, migration, and trade policies will help to determine whether workers or machines pick U.S. apples and oranges in 2030.”In his closing commentary, Mark Krikorian, the Center’s executive director and podcast host, highlights President Biden’s false claim that he does not have the authority to control the border and action from Congress is required. Political vulnerability is now forcing him to control the massive numbers entering the country.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestPhilip Martin is Professor Emeritus of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California at Davis.RelatedCan U.S. Farm Workers Be Replaced By Machines?Bracero 2.0: Mexican Workers in North American AgricultureBiden’s New Border Plan Shows ‘I Can’t Do Anything’ Was Always A LieFollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

On this week’s episode of Parsing Immigration Policy, we are joined by Ruy Teixeira, co-author with John Judis of last fall’s book, Where Have All the Democrats Gone?: The Soul of the Party in the Age of Extremes. Teixeira, currently a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, worked from 2003 to 2022 as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning public policy research and advocacy organization.Teixeira explains that Democrats were not always proponents of the open-border agenda. The Democratic party used to see illegal immigration as a threat to low-wage workers and unions. In fact, in the 1980s, organized labor was the main group pushing for more hawkish immigration policies.Teixeira stresses the importance of including the people at the center of the American electorate in policy debates, stating that the Democratic leadership is way off where the public is not. Many issues have become “culturalized” and reflect the agenda of what he calls a “shadow party” that includes activist groups, donors, academics, et al. who view issues, especially immigration, through a good-versus-evil lens, which does not foster productive debate or compromise.Today, he said, Democrats refuse to even acknowledge a problem at our southern border and have generally alienated the working class, which once made up a significant part of their base. Additionally, they often categorize their opponents as evil rather than merely mistaken. Teixeira sums up the view of the Democratic “shadow party” on immigration as “more is better and less is racist.”In his closing commentary, Mark Krikorian shares what he saw on a recent trip to the Del Rio and Eagle Pass areas of Texas, which has been “Ground Zero” for the border crisis. However, almost overnight the illegal immigration flow has virtually stopped in this area, thanks to a Mexican army crackdown on illegal migrants that followed December visits to Mexico by President Biden and other senior officials.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestRuy Teixeira is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.RelatedRuy Teixeira AEI profileCould Immigration Hand the 2024 Election to Trump?Where Have All the Democrats Gone?: The Soul of the Party in the Age of ExtremesHow Biden Could Act on the Border and Help Himself in NovemberFollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

The Senate bill that would provide billions of dollars’ worth of funding to Ukraine in exchange for increased border security measures is unlikely to pass into law, but certain provisions from the bill may make their way into future border legislation. Andrew Arthur, the Center for Immigration Studies’ Resident Fellow in Law and Policy and former counsel for the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees, joins Parsing Immigration Policy to discuss the border bill with our host and executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, Mark Krikorian.Arthur provides background on the bill and explains what changes would be implemented if it became law, including a 5,000 per-day cap on illegal entries, after which the border would be briefly closed to other migrants. In essence, Democratic efforts to promote this bill are little more than an attempt to limit the damage to President Biden’s political prospects resulting from increasing focus on the chaos at the border in an election year. The bill also includes provisions that have nothing to do with border security – including an increase in family- and employment-based green cards and automatic work permits for relatives of certain temporary workers.Regardless, Arthur explains, the president does not need legislative action to enforce the border, and the administration’s support of this bill is an admission of the failures of its current policies. The proposed cap of 5,000 illegal entries per day shows that Biden can close the border to illegal aliens at any time – he just doesn’t want to.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestAndrew Arthur is the Resident Fellow in Law and Policy at the Center for Immigration Studies.RelatedThe Good — and a Lot of Bad — in the Senate Border ‘Deal’Latest Immigration Bill Spends $1.29 billion on Ineffective ATD ProgramThe Availability of Work Authorization Is a Known ‘Pull Factor’ for Illegal Immigration and the Submission of Fraudulent Asylum ClaimsThe Border Bill is TerribleFollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

This Week's episode of the Parsing Immigration Podcast offers key findings from a European field-research trip by Todd Bensman, the Center’s national security fellow. Bensman was a visiting fellow at the Budapest-based Migration Research Institute, and examined borders in Hungary, Slovenia, Poland, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Greece.Bensman’s research revealed a resurgence of illegal human traffic along the “Western Balkan Route”, reminiscent of the 2015-2016 crisis. The 380,000 migrant detections in Europe during 2023 are merely suggestive of much larger undetected flows indicated by the nearly one million asylum claims also filed during that year. The trip also revealed the intense political debates among the European Union’s 27 members as they consider how to handle the rising challenge. Unfortunately, these debates have received little attention in the United States, where a U.S. border crisis is now entering its fourth year featuring many similar dynamics and policy factors.Conversely, Europe could learn from the U.S. experience. For example, the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, approved in December by EU members and the European Parliament, but not yet ratified, includes a regulation which would allow in all illegal-alien family units and unaccompanied minors almost without exception. This is the current policy in the U.S. under the Biden administration, and it has resulted in a strong pull factor attracting migrants to the southern border. HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestsTodd Bensman is the Senior National Security Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies.RelatedVideo: European Lessons for America’s Mass Migration CrisisAre Borders Back in Europe?Will Mass Migration Breach Poland’s Famous Border Fence?The Road from Damascus: Time to recall the bloody history of border crossings from SyriaFollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

The Center for Immigration Studies hosted a panel discussion examining present asylum laws in the United States and in Europe, how they work, their impact on illegal immigration, and proposals for reform. Members of the newly formed International Network for Immigration Research (INIR), which includes like-minded think tanks in the U.S., Israel, Hungary, France, and the UK, discussed how their countries are navigating their current asylum crises and address the shared challenge of immigration control.Participants examined whether the post-WWII asylum regime is an anachronism that needs to be re-thought and the proposed asylum reforms being discussed in the current negotiations between Republicans and Democrats. Listen to hear about the European Union Migration and Asylum Pact and what the U.S. can learn from this newly passed agreement.Mark Krikorian, the Center’s executive director and host of Parsing Immigration Policy, moderates this rebroadcast of the Center's panel.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestsViktor Marsai is the Director of the Budapest-based Migration Research InstituteNicolas Pouvreau-Monti is the Co-founder of the Immigration and Demography Observatory in FranceEric Ruark is the Director of Research at NumbersUSARelatedPanel VideoPanel TranscriptViktor Marsai's PowerPoint PresentationFollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

As January marks Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the Center for Immigration Studies releases a second podcast interview focused on the subject. This week’s episode of Parsing Immigration Policy features Frank Russo, director of the CPAC Foundation’s Center for Combatting Human Trafficking, who joins our guest host, Jessica Vaughan, director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration Studies. The two experts discuss the challenges, initiatives, and policy considerations involved in combatting this issue.Russo brings extensive experience in drafting and passing public safety and criminal justice legislation to his current position, which focuses on assisting states in updating their human trafficking laws. He emphasizes that even though 90 percent of crime in the U.S. is handled at the state and local level, there exists a significant gap in state law when it come to a comprehensive criminal and civil code to specifically address human trafficking. Russo explains that local jurisdictions often resort to charging traffickers with offenses like kidnapping or false imprisonment, lacking a targeted approach to combat human trafficking itself.Another challenge in the battle against human trafficking lies in the fragmented focus of victim advocacy organizations, state and local jurisdictions, and federal prosecutors. Each entity concentrates on different aspects of human trafficking, resulting in a lack of collaboration and a failure to understand the factors that drive the trafficking of individuals to the U.S.Russo offers recommendations for how the state and local levels can better fight human trafficking. One key suggestion is to provide resources to individuals who can prove they were trafficked and will testify against their traffickers, such as placing them in a safehouse to ensure their protection. Another is to adopt certain language in state law that can hold employers responsible for labor trafficking occurring in their facilities or through their use of contractors.Russo spoke at last month’s 2nd annual Conference to Combat Human Trafficking, co-sponsored by the Center for Immigration Studies and the University of Houston’s Borders, Trade, and Immigration Institute.HostJessica Vaughan is the Director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestFrank Russo is the Director of the CPAC Foundation Center for Combatting Human Trafficking.RelatedFlorida Grand Jury: Biden Putting Alien Children in Harm’s WayThe Biden Border Crisis: Exploitation of Unaccompanied Alien ChildrenFlorida Grand Jury Issues Shocking Report on Alien KidsRegister for the 3rd Annual Conference to Combat Human Trafficking: Research and Technology, July 22-24, 2024FollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and with this episode of Parsing Immigration Policy, we seek to bring more awareness to the issue as it pertains to immigration. Our guest host this week is Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, and she is joined by Richard Mantei, special counsel and statewide prosecutor with the Florida Office of the Attorney General. Mantei recently served as legal advisor to a Florida grand jury that was convened to investigate the effects in Florida of current border policies, including the smuggling of unaccompanied alien children (UACs). In December, he spoke at the second annual Conference to Combat Human Trafficking, co-sponsored by the Center.The grand jury investigation revealed that the Biden administration’s immigration policies – including catch-and-release at the border, the dismantling of interior enforcement, and especially, policies on handling UACs – have contributed significantly to incidents of smuggling, trafficking, and other crimes occurring in Florida. These crimes are linked to transnational criminal enterprises driven by enormous profits.In addition, certain entities in Florida are contributing to this illicit activity, wittingly or unwittingly, including NGOs that are receiving large sums in government funds. Some of these NGOs have actively promoted and facilitated migration, enticing migrants to sign up with smugglers to come to the United States illegally -- yet they fail to adequately communicate the inherent dangers associated with undertaking this journey.As Mantei explains, the grand jury additionally determined that the policies of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which is responsible for placement of UACs, have actually enabled the exploitation and abuse of these children. ORR’s priority is to release the children as quickly as possible to a sponsor in this country. Mantei remarked, “It’s about as difficult to adopt a pet as it is to get an unaccompanied child from ORR.”The sponsors are sometimes the parents, but increasingly are unrelated, and rarely subjected to routine background checks, home studies, or post-release monitoring. Mantei relates several cases of abuse and exploitation of UACs that occurred in Florida and other states, including incidents of forced labor, sexual abuse, and other disturbing events.Vaughan emphasizes that states can take steps to counteract bad immigration policies. The grand jury reports offer valuable recommendations to other states that want to address the problems and costs created by the Biden policies. Notably, one of these suggestions is to mandate that sponsors of unrelated UACs be required to undergo family court proceedings to maintain custody of a child, ensuring that UACs receive the same protections as American kids would.HostJessica Vaughan is the Director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestsRichard Mantei is a special counsel and statewide prosecutor with the Florida Office of the Attorney General.RelatedFlorida Grand Jury Issues Shocking Report on Alien KidsThe Third Presentment of the 21st Florida Statewide Grand Jury (on unaccompanied alien children)The Fifth Presentment of the 21st Florida Statewide Grand Jury (on federal policies, NGO involvement, and cartel enrichment)The Biden Border Crisis: Exploitation of Unaccompanied Alien ChildrenRegister for the 3rd Annual Conference to Combat Human Trafficking: Research and Technology, July 22-24, 2024FollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

Today’s episode of Parsing Immigration Policy features experts from the Center for Immigration Studies discussing immigration highlights of 2023. Mark Krikorian, the Center’s executive director and host of the podcast, is joined by Director of Investigations Jon Feere and Senior National Security Fellow Todd Bensman.Krikorian identifies the top story of the year as the record-breaking number of illegal aliens at the border, with 3.2 million encounters of inadmissible aliens, double the pre-Covid numbers from 2019. However, the open border, coupled with the lack of interior enforcement, led to other significant stories, including the trafficking of unaccompanied alien children (UAC) and a Texas-Biden war.Bensman, author of last year’s Overrun: How Joe Biden Unleashed the Greatest Border Crisis in American History, explains that the administration’s policies opened the border wide for illegal aliens. Anticipating a surge of illegal aliens resulting from the May termination of Title 42, the Biden administration funneled hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens into the country by enabling them to pre-schedule their “legal” entry through the CBP One app. A surge at the border occurred nonetheless. The overwhelming numbers of illegal border crossings and overworked agents also resulted in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) losing track of 85,000 unaccompanied alien children.A faceoff between Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at the Texas-Mexico border raised the question of whether a state has the right to defend the border. The conflict between Texas and the federal government arose over several state actions, including placing concertina wire on the border, busing illegal aliens to various cities, and placing a marine barrier in the Rio Grande River.Feere highlights how the administration’s restrictions on immigration enforcement have made communities less safe. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) is no longer removing criminal aliens from the interior of the country, and the agency has failed to prioritize worksite enforcement, allowing scores of migrant children to be exploited and work in unsafe environments.At the end of the episode, Krikorian and guests provide predictions for the U.S. immigration landscape in 2024.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestsTodd Bensman is the Senior National Security Fellow at the Center for Immigration StudiesJon Feere is the Director of Investigations at the Center for Immigration StudiesRelatedBiden Administration and Congressional Democrats Facilitated ‘Explosion’ in Illegal Alien Child LaborThousands of ‘Special Interest Aliens’ Posing Potential National Security Risks Entering via CBP One AppNew Records Unveil Surprising Scope of Secretive ‘CBP One’ Entry SchemeFollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

The border crisis has reached historic levels under the Biden administration, but one of the many roots of this crisis extends beyond the current administration. This episode of Parsing Immigration Policy highlights the Flores settlement, an agreement that established requirements for the federal government’s detention of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) and requires their release “without unnecessary delay”. This week, we are joined by Hart Celler, the pseudonym of a Marine Corps veteran and longtime federal employee involved in immigration policy.Celler walks listeners through the general history of Flores, from the start of the lawsuit in 1985 to the initial agreement in 1997 to today. A key development occurred under the Obama administration when Judge Dolly Gee re-interpreted the agreement to cover all alien children, not just those who arrive without a parent or legal guardian. Children who arrive with an adult are not generally released alone, so the U.S. government ends up releasing the adult and the child together. Celler refers to this as a “golden ticket” for entry into the U.S. for any illegal alien who brings a child. This practice encourages and rewards adults – some of whom are not even be the child’s parent – to bring children on the dangerous journey to the U.S.Celler provides potential solutions for Congress to eliminate the magnet for child migration and highlights how organizations purporting to advocate for child welfare are actually putting these children in harm’s way. “The groups that are representing the [unaccompanied alien] children don’t want the children detained ever, at any point, for any reason, and don’t seem to be bothered by the fact that the government releases them to … literal strangers, and doesn’t follow up with them.”In his closing commentary, Mark Krikorian, host of the podcast and executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, discusses negotiations over the supplemental funding bill in the Senate, which would include funding for more personnel on the border. Negotiations have been ongoing, as Senate Republicans have demanded policy changes from the Biden administration, rather than simply providing more resources. As Krikorian explains, the primary sticking point is the insistence by Republicans on narrowing the president's authority to parole illegal aliens into the country, an authority Democrats and the administration want to keep as broad as possible.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestHart Celler is the pseudonym of a Marine Corps veteran and longtime federal employee involved in immigration policy.RelatedHart Celler's X AccountAmenables and CollateralsThe History of the Flores SettlementCourt Approves Settlement So-Called ‘Family Separation’ CaseFollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

The Center for Immigration Studies hosted a panel discussion December 11. The featured experts delved into the findings of the Center’s latest report, which revealed that the total foreign-born or immigrant population (legal and illegal) was nearly 50 million in October 2023 — a 4.5 million increase since President Biden took office and a new record high.Rich Lowry, editor of the National Review, and Roy Beck, the former president of NumbersUSA, joined Steven Camarota, Center’s director of research and author of the new report. The panelists, who have all written extensively about the impact of immigration on the United States, will discuss what caused this rapid growth and the broad implications this has for American society, including the labor market, public coffers, politics, the environment, and culture.Mark Krikorian, the Center’s executive director and host of Parsing Immigration Policy, moderates this rebroadcast of the Center's panel.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestsRich Lowry is the Editor-in-Chief of National Review.Roy Beck is the Founder and former President of NumbersUSA.Steven Camarota is the Director of Research of the Center for Immigration Studies.RelatedReport: In October 2023, the Foreign-Born Share Was the Highest in HistoryPanel Video: The Size and Implications of the Immigrant PopulationPanel Press Release: The Size and Implications of the Immigrant PopulationFollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

This week’s episode of Parsing Immigration Policy brings a global perspective to the immigration debate with Nicolas Monti and Maxime Aymar, co-founders of L'Observatoire de l'immigration et de la démographie (OID), an immigration think tank based in Paris. The guests share information on immigration trends, policies, and public sentiment in France.The French organization was founded three years ago in response to the public’s growing distrust in immigration policies in France. France, one of the first countries to experience massive levels of immigration, especially non-European immigration, has seen immigration become an especially polarizing political topic. It is at the forefront of French political debate and an important topic for all political parties; but, as Monti and Aymar explain, the conversation has primarily become an ideological conversation. OID fills a gap in French politics by providing non-partisan facts, research, and analysis of the immigration issue.Monti and Aymar explain immigration trends in France over the past four decades, and their impact on France’s economy, culture, and society. They also explore what motivates French people to be in favor of or against higher levels of immigration. In a unique collaboration, OID, along with like-minded research organizations in Israel, Hungary, and the United States, has established the International Network for Immigration Research (INIR), of which the Center is a member.In his closing commentary, Mark Krikorian, host of the podcast and executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, highlights Lukeville, Ariz., the latest hotspot on the border. He references insights from the Israeli Immigration Policy Center, another member of INIR, emphasizing the importance of addressing “pull factors” for illegal aliens alongside physical barriers to maintain border security. Krikorian also emphasizes the role of the Biden administration’s catch-and-release policies in incentivizing mass illegal immigration.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestsNicolas Monti and Maxime Aymar are co-founders of L'Observatoire de l'immigration et de la démographie (OID), an immigration think tank based in Paris.RelatedL'Observatoire de l'immigration et de la démographie (OID)Israeli Immigration Policy CenterFollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

SummaryThis week’s episode of Parsing Immigration Policy delves into the issue of marriage fraud, an arrangement where individuals enter into marriages solely for the purpose of securing a green card. David North, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, joins host and executive director of the Center, Mark Krikorian, to discuss the prevalence and need to curb fraudulent marriage-based green cards.Marriage-based green cards, whether fraudulent or legitimate, make up a large portion of the legal immigration system in the U.S. One in six new legal immigrants in 2022 gained their status by marrying either a U.S. citizen or a green card holder. This visa category does not have a numerical cap, making it an attractive way to become a legal permanent resident with work authority and a path to citizenship.North explores different facets of marriage fraud, highlighting how the U.S. immigration system inadvertently provides opportunities for deception. The legal landscape favors the alien and presents challenges in policing individual cases, although USCIS has had recent successes in dismantling criminal rings that facilitate illegal green card marriages.The discussion covers the often-overlooked perspective of victims of marriage fraud, where the citizen partner, often misled into believing in a genuine relationship, faces unexpected consequences post-divorce, including extended alimony payments. North also highlights how a provision in the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which allows aliens to self-petition to obtain their green cards if they are married to an abusive spouse, encourages aliens to falsely accuse the American citizen spouse of abuse. North and Krikorian offer insights into preventive measures, drawing attention to Canada’s educational approach, which involves a mandatory marriage fraud video session. They emphasize the need for a proactive stance by authorities to curb marriage fraud, urging a shift from the role of a “stupid Cupid” to a more vigilant approach.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestDavid North is a Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies.RelatedTopic Page: Marriage FraudAnother Tale of a Phony Green-Card MarriageImmigration Marriage Fraud in ReverseVictims of Marriage-Related Immigration Fraud Tell Their StoriesIn One Subclass of Immigrants, 100 Percent of the Visas Reflect a FailureFollowFollow Parsing Immigration Policy on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".