Install
Immigration and Border terms
The border, enforcement and who gets to stay.
Catch and release A critics' label for releasing apprehended migrants into the U.S. to await immigration proceedings rather than detaining them. Remain in Mexico A policy, begun in 2019, that sent asylum seekers who crossed the southern border to wait in Mexico while their U.S. cases were decided. Visa overstay Remaining in the United States after a legal visa or authorized period of stay has expired, a major source of unauthorized presence. 287(g) agreement A program letting ICE deputize local and state law enforcement officers to carry out certain immigration enforcement functions. Expedited removal A process letting immigration officers deport certain noncitizens quickly, without an immigration-judge hearing, unless they claim fear or U.S. status. ICE detainer A request from ICE asking a jail to hold a person for up to 48 extra hours after release so the agency can take custody. Asylum Legal protection from removal for people already in or arriving at the U.S. who show a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country. Credible fear interview An initial screening by an asylum officer to decide if a migrant has a significant possibility of establishing an asylum claim. DACA A 2012 policy that shields certain people brought to the U.S. as children from deportation and grants work permits, renewed every two years. Humanitarian parole Temporary permission, granted case by case, to enter or stay in the U.S. for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. Temporary Protected Status A temporary, renewable status that shields nationals of certain countries in crisis from deportation and allows work authorization. Sanctuary jurisdiction A state or local government that limits its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, often by declining to honor detainer requests. Birthright citizenship The rule, based on the Fourteenth Amendment, that nearly everyone born on U.S. soil is a citizen, regardless of their parents' status. Naturalization The legal process by which a lawful permanent resident becomes a U.S. citizen, involving tests, an interview and an oath. Noncitizen voting Voting by people who are not U.S. citizens, which is illegal in federal elections but allowed in some local elections. Chain migration A critics' term for family-based immigration, in which citizens and residents sponsor relatives, who may later sponsor others. E-Verify A federal online system that lets employers check whether new hires are authorized to work in the United States. Green card The document showing lawful permanent resident status, which lets a noncitizen live and work in the U.S. indefinitely and later apply for citizenship. H-1B visa A temporary work visa for foreign professionals in specialty occupations, capped annually and allocated by lottery.