Immigration Council "Revisits The Border"

WASHINGTON - The Immigration Policy Center(IPC) has released the next in its series of perspectives on immigration with Back to the Border: A Historical Comparison of U.S. Border Politics. During the spring and summer of 2010, America's broken immigration system erupted into national news headlines as a result of the passage in Arizona of a sweeping anti-immigrant law (SB 1070), growing concerns over drug-related violence along the U.S.-Mexico border, and calls in some quarters for a repeal of the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of birthright citizenship. While these events might seem new, the issues involved - unauthorized migration, labor disputes, violence, federalism, and constitutional rights - have played out over and over again, particularly along the border. Back to the Border provides analyses by two historians who situate today's controversies within the context of the broader history of the border region. Understanding history not only allows us to make sense of the complex issues behind the current rhetoric, but also demonstrates why it is necessary to go beyond it and search for lasting solutions.

To read the Perspectives piece, see:

Back to the Border: A Historical Comparison of U.S. Border Politics

The Immigration Policy Center (IPC), established in 2003, is the policy arm of the American Immigration Council. IPC's mission is to shape a rational national conversation on immigration and immigrant integration. Through its research and analysis, IPC provides policymakers, the media, and the general public with accurate information about the role of immigrants and immigration policy on U.S. society. IPC reports and materials are widely disseminated and relied upon by press and policy makers. IPC staff regularly serves as experts to leaders on Capitol Hill, opinion-makers and the media. IPC is a non-partisan organization that neither supports nor opposes any political party or candidate for office.