According to Ted Alden, "U.S. tracking of visa overstays is not perfect, but neither is it the massive hole in immigration enforcement that too many in Congress believe exists."

CFR Senior Fellows Edward Alden and Shannon K. O'Neil discuss border security and U.S. immigration policy.

The authors examine the lack of understanding of the effectiveness of enforcement efforts in preventing illegal immigration to the United States.

Edward Alden writes that the GOP should embrace immigration reform and follow the Canadian Conservative Party's example on how to woo the immigrant vote.

Julia Sweig reflects on implications of the Boston Marathon bombings in the midst of debates on gun control and immigration reform.

Ed Husain writes, "Boston will not be the last homegrown terror attack. Bombastic statements and burying our heads in the sand do not prepare us for future attacks."

Ted Alden reflects on impending immigration reform in light of the recent Boston Marathon bombings.

Immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship would have sweeping effects on the lives of the estimated eight million undocumented Hispanics living within the United States. But it would not have an acute, immediate effect on U.S. politics.

Read full answer

Immigration has been an important element of U.S. economic and cultural vitality since the country's founding. This interactive timeline outlines the evolution of U.S. immigration policy after World War II.

"Flows of migrants and refugees influence and change the social, economic and political dynamics of their destinations -- and the places they have left behind," writes the Inter Press Service on human migration. In the United States, politicians are saying they are committed to reform of the U.S. immigration system. Immigration Research Links provides resources for news, legislation, statistics, organizations, and reports on immigration.

As the 113th U.S. Congress considers an overhaul of the country's immigration system, Task Force members Richard Land, Eliseo Medina, and project director Edward Alden discuss U.S. policy options and political prospects for comprehensive change.

Edward Alden discusses the struggle to overcome the legacy of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act and argues that increases in border enforcement over the past thirty years may be the strongest argument for why immigration reform in 2013 would not be a repeat of 1986.

Shannon K. O'Neil says after Republicans' election-year drubbing, the United States has an historic opportunity to fix its broken immigration system. And the arguments against reform simply don't hold up anymore.

As renewed bipartisan efforts to reform U.S. immigration policy get under way, CFR's Edward Alden gives three reasons why the time for reform may finally be at hand.

President Obama gave these remarks in Las Vegas on January 29, 2013, the day after a bipartisan group of senators released their framework for immigration reform. Both plans include a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and tightened border security.

A bipartisan group of eight U.S. senators proposed a framework for immigration reform released January 28, 2013 and President Obama outlined his plan for reform in a speech on January 29, 2013. Both plans include a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and tightened border security. On April 16, 2013, S. 744: Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act was proposed.

Ongoing arguments over U.S. immigration policy play out against concerns about curbing illegal immigration, changing demographics, and maintaining the country's global competitive edge, explains this Backgrounder.

Edward Alden discusses a new assessment from the Government Accountability Office, which concludes that crossing U.S. borders illegally has become far more difficult than the American public realizes.

The November election had many consequences, but few may be as profound as its impact on the likelihood of immigration reform, says Richard N. Haass.

The GOP is facing some internal conflict as Republicans are finding themselves divided over the issue of immigration reform under President Obama's administration.