XCPD-709 - U.S. Immigration: Past, Present, and Future
Course Description
This course examines the history of American immigration from the colonial period to the present, reviews current challenges, and identifies areas in need of future reform. After examining the first three waves of immigration (colonial period, early-mid 19th century, and turn of the 19th-20th centuries), the course focuses on current migration patterns, particularly from Latin America and Asia. The course focuses particularly on the lessons learned from five landmark pieces of legislation the Immigration Amendments of 1965, the Refugee Act of 1980, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, the Immigration Act of 1990, and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. It also identifies major legal cases that have informed policy implementation. It concludes with an examination of the growth in undocumented migration and the security implications of such events as September 11 on the evolution of U.S. immigration policies. Looking to the future, the course examines the role of federal, state and local authorities and the federal courts in implementing policy reforms. It also examines the role of public opinion and various interest groups in affecting policy formulation.
Course Objectives
At the completion of the course, a successful student will be able to:
- Discuss fundamentals of US immigration legislation and major legal cases
- Discuss the growth in undocumented migration and the evolution of U.S. immigration policies
- Describe the role of federal, state and local authorities and the federal courts in implementing policy reforms.