Assessing the Trump Administration’s Immigration Policies

For centuries, the United States has welcomed millions of people from every corner of the globe to join the great mixing bowl of America. That open, welcoming attitude exists in the Trump Administration, as evidenced by the fact that the United States still lawfully admits over 1 million permanent resident immigrants per year, more than any other country.

Article I, Section 8, Clause 4 of the Constitution of the United States provides that Congress shall have the power to “establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization.” AsThe Heritage Guide to the Constitution explains, few powers are more fundamental to sovereignty than control over immigration and the vesting of citizenship in aliens.1

See David F. Forte and Matthew Spalding, eds., The Heritage Guide to the Constitution (Washington, DC: The Heritage Foundation, 2005), p. 139. Throughout this Special Report, when referring to those people who are here in the country illegally, we use the term that Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court use: illegal alien. See also Hans von Spakovsky, “‘Undocumented Immigrant’ Is a Made-Up Term That Ignores the Law,” The Daily Signal, July 30, 2018, https://www.dailysignal.com/2018/07/30/undocumented-immigrant-is-a-made-up-term-that-ignores-the-law/ (accessed May 27, 2020).

Over decades, Congress has passed dozens of immigration and immigration-related laws. Each was designed to address a specific set of policy goals and perceived issues. As new issues arise in the public debate about immigration policy, Congress is tempted to take legislative action to address the issue.

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