INFORMATION RESOURCES FOR U.S.MEXICO MIGRATION ISSUES

 

The following is a list of selected online resources for research and current awareness of U.S.-Mexico migration issues.

 

Compiled by Molly Molloy, New Mexico State University Library, mmolloy@nmsu.edu

Updated September 29, 2005


 

OFFICIAL INFORMATION SOURCES

 

United States

 

United States Department of Homeland Security

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/

Executive branch department with responsibility for the security of the borders of the United States, including customs, border protection and immigration services.

 

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly: United States Immigration and Naturalization Service)

http://uscis.gov/

On March 1, 2003 the responsibility for providing immigration-related services and benefits such as naturalization and work authorization were transferred from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a bureau of the Department of Homeland Security.

 

United States Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement

http://www.ice.gov/

Investigative and enforcement responsibilities for enforcement of federal immigration laws, customs laws, and air security laws was transferred to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  

 

United States Bureau of Customs and Border Protection

http://www.cbp.gov/

The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is responsible for protecting the U.S. borders and is also part of the Department of Homeland Security.

 

United States Border Patrol

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/enforcement/border_patrol/

The Border Patrol now falls under the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection.

 

National Border Patrol Council, American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO.

http://www.nbpc.net/

The union representing  Border Patrol Officers.

 

Department of State

http://www.state.gov/

 

Immigration data from U.S. Census Bureau

http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/immigration.html

 

Mexico

 

Mexico: Instituto Nacional de Migración

http://www.inami.gob.mx/

The INM is the official Mexican government department for migration issues. It is a department within the Secretaría de Gobernación (http://www.segob.gob.mx/). There are three special programs of the INM providing services to migrants

 

Grupo Beta de Protección a Migrantes

http://www.inami.gob.mx/paginas/420000.htm

Special program of the INM for migrants.

 

Estadisticas Migratorias

http://www.inami.gob.mx/paginas/710000.htm

Migration statistics from the INM

 

Mexico: Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores

http://www.sre.gob.mx/

Mexico’s foreign relations secretariat provides passports, visas, consular services and other activities related to migration.

 

Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática

http://www.inegi.gob.mx/

Official statistics compiled by Mexican government agencies.

 

Programa Nacional Paisano

http://www.paisano.gob.mx/

Services for Mexican nationals living in other countries. Oriented toward those who may be returning to Mexico after living and working abroad.

 


 

RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS AND RESOURCES

 

Center for Comparative Immigration Studies—University of California-San Diego

http://www.ccis-ucsd.org/

The Center for Comparative Immigration Studies at the University of California-San Diego is an interdisciplinary, multinational research and training program devoted to comparative (especially cross-national) work on international migration and refugee movements. Its main intellectual agenda is to systematically compare the U.S. immigration experience - historical and contemporary -- with that of other labor-importing countries in other regions (especially the Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Western Europe). It conducts multi-year research projects, holds research conferences, workshops and seminars, hosts visiting research fellows at both the pre- and postdoctoral levels, and publishes monographs and working papers. The Center also conducts field research in immigrant-receiving and sending countries, and trains undergraduates and graduate students to gather primary data among immigrant and refugee populations.

 

Center for Immigration Research University of Houston

http://www.uh.edu/cir/

The Center for Immigration Research seeks to study the consequences of current immigration trends in order to inform decision making concerning international and national immigration policies, as well as to disseminate information to local institutions, organizations and policy-makers involved with the settlement and incorporation of America's "new immigrants" into their communities.

 

Center for Migration Studies

http://www.cmsny.org/

The Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS), founded in New York in 1964, is one of the premier institutes for migration studies in the United States. It is committed to facilitating the study of sociodemographic, historical, economic, political, legislative and pastoral aspects of human migration and refugee movements. CMS brings an independent perspective to the interdisciplinary study of international migration and refugees without institutional constraints of government analysts and special interest groups, or the profit considerations of private research firms. As the only institute in the United States devoted exclusively to understanding and educating the public on the causes and consequences of human mobility at both origin and destination countries, CMS performs a critical function in migration studies as it generates and facilitates the dissemination of new knowledge and the fostering of effective policies. CMS is a NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.  Publishes International Migration Review and Migration World.

 

Mexican Migration Project

http://mmp.opr.princeton.edu/

A bi-national project of the Office of Population Research at Princeton University and the Universidad de Guadalajara to study and document the process of Mexican migration to the United States. The MMP gathers and maintains high quality social and demographic data on the lives and characteristics of documented and undocumented Mexican migrants to the United States and makes the collected data available to the public for research and educational purposes

 

Migration Dialogue—Migration News

http://migration.ucdavis.edu/

Migration Dialogue promotes an informed discussion of the issues associated with international migration by providing unbiased and timely information on immigration and integration issues. Migration Dialogue supports five major activities: Migration News, Rural Migration News, Opinion Leader Seminars, Comparative Migration Policy Research, and California Rural Welfare Database. Migration News provides a monthly summary of recent immigration developments that can be read in 60 minutes or less. Many issues also contain summaries and reviews of recent research publications.

 

Migration Policy Institute

http://www.migrationpolicy.org/

The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit think-tank in Washington, D.C. dedicated to the study of the movement of people worldwide. MPI provides analysis, development, and evaluation of migration and refugee policies at the local, national, and international levels. It aims to meet the rising demand for pragmatic and thoughtful responses to the challenges and opportunities that large-scale migration, whether voluntary or forced, presents to communities and institutions in an increasingly integrated world. MPI has an extensive list of publications (http://www.migrationpolicy.org/pubs/) and also produces the online research tool listed below, Migration Information Source:

 

Migration Information Source

http://www.migrationinformation.org/

This site offers "fresh thought, authoritative data, and global analysis of international migration and refugee trends" and chronicles global migration movements. Global Data contains charts and tables for several countries dating back to 1990 and Country Profiles contains articles on various countries' immigration and emigration policies, experience, patterns, and forecasts. There are also U.S. Historical Trends, related links, and a glossary.

 

Migracion Internacional/International Migration

http://www.migracioninternacional.com/

Content-rich site with focus on migration worldwide, but emphasis on the United States and Mexico from a variety of perspectives including documented and undocumented migration, refugees, etc. Includes official US and Mexican documents, scholarly analysis, and many original articles on the topic. Links to political and scholarly interest groups on all sides of the issue.

 

Pew Hispanic Center

http://pewhispanic.org/

A nonpartisan research organization supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Its mission is to improve understanding of the U.S. Hispanic population and to chronicle Latinos' growing impact on the entire nation. The Center does not advocate for or take positions on policy issues. It is a project of the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan "fact tank" in Washington, DC that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. Regularly publishes research reports on immigration and other policy issues affecting Hispanics in the United States. All research reports are freely available online.

 

Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC)

http://trac.syr.edu/

Based at Syracuse University, TRAC gathers and analyzes U.S. government data on border, immigration and customs enforcement, drug, alcohol, tobacco and firearms enforcement, etc. TRAC-DHS, http://trac.syr.edu/tracdhs/index.html monitors the Department of Homeland Security and publishes regular reports on immigration, and other border enforcement issues.

 

 


 

ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS AND RESOURCES

[In most cases, descriptions are taken directly from organizations’ pages]

 

Immigrants’ Rights Information & Advocacy

 

American Civil Liberties Union Immigrants’ Rights Project

http://www.aclu.org/ImmigrantsRights/ImmigrantsRightsMain.cfm

The Immigrants' Rights Project (IRP) of the American Civil Liberties Union works to defend the civil and constitutional rights of immigrants through a comprehensive program of impact litigation and public education. The IRP files constitutional and class action lawsuits protecting the historic guarantee to judicial review, enforcing fair employment practices, and maintaining constitutional safeguards against detention practices and biased asylum adjudication.

 

American Friends Service Committee—Immigration Programs

http://www.afsc.org/immigrants-rights/default.htm

Links to many local, national and international organizations providing services to immigrants and refugees.

 

American Immigration Lawyers Association

http://www.aila.org/

AILA is a national bar association of over 6,700 attorneys who practice and teach immigration law. Working closely with leading immigration experts throughout the country, the American Immigration Law Foundation has established three core program areas: the Legal Action Center, the Public Education Program, and an Exchange Visitor Program. Through these programs, the Foundation sponsors numerous awards programs, publishes policy reports, engages in impact litigation, and provides policymakers and the public with complete and accurate information about the benefits of immigration.

 

National Immigration Forum

http://www.immigrationforum.org/

The purpose of the National Immigration Forum is to embrace and uphold America's tradition as a nation of immigrants. The Forum advocates and builds public support for policies that welcome immigrants and refugees and that are fair and supportive to newcomers in our country.

 

National Immigration Legal Center

http://www.nilc.org/

The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is a national support center whose mission is to protect and promote the rights and opportunities of low income immigrants and their family members.   NILC staff specialize in immigration law, and the employment and public benefits rights of immigrants.  The Center conducts policy analysis and impact litigation and provides publications, technical advice, and trainings to a broad constituency of legal aid agencies, community groups, and pro bono attorneys. 

 

National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild

http://www.nationalimmigrationproject.org/

The National Immigration Project is a network of immigration lawyers, law students, jailhouse lawyers, and legal workers who work to end unlawful immigration practices, to recognize the contributions of immigrants in this country, to promote fair immigration practices, and to expand the civil and human rights of all immigrants, regardless of their status in the United States.

 

National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

http://www.nnirr.org/

The National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR) is a national organization composed of local coalitions and immigrant, refugee, community, religious, civil rights and labor organizations and activists. It serves as a forum to share information and analysis, to educate communities and the general public, and to develop and coordinate plans of action on important immigrant and refugee issues. NNIRR works promote a just immigration and refugee policy in the United States and to defend and expand the rights of all immigrants and refugees, regardless of immigration status. The National Network bases its efforts in the principles of equality and justice, and seeks the enfranchisement of all immigrant and refugee communities in the United States through organizing and advocating for their full labor, environmental, civil and human rights. We further recognize the unparalleled change in global, political and economic structures that has exacerbated regional, national and international patterns of migration, and emphasize the need to build international support and cooperation to strengthen the rights, welfare and safety of migrants and refugees.

 

 

Immigration Reform/Restriction Information and Advocacy

 

Americans for Better Immigration

http://www.betterimmigration.com/

Americans for Better Immigration (ABI) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that lobbies Congress for reductions in immigration numbers. ABI believes the problem with immigration today is not the individual immigrant but the numbers. "Better" immigration is lower immigration.

 

Center for Immigration Studies (CIS)

http://www.cis.org/

The Center for Immigration Studies is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit research organization founded in 1985. It is the nation's only think tank devoted exclusively to research and policy analysis of the economic, social, demographic, fiscal, and other impacts of immigration on the United States.  It is the Center's mission to expand the base of public knowledge and understanding of the need for an immigration policy that gives first concern to the broad national interest. The Center is animated by a pro-immigrant, low-immigration vision. CIS publishes many reports online and distributes immigration news from a variety of sources via email.

 

Coalition for the Future American Worker

http://www.americanworker.org/

CFAW is an umbrella organization of professional trade groups, population/environment organizations, and immigration reform groups. CFAW was formed to represent the interests of American workers and students in the formulation of immigration policy.

 

Federation for American Immigration Reform

http://www.fairus.org/

The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is a national, non-profit, public- interest, membership organization of concerned citizens who share a common belief that the unforeseen mass immigration that has occurred over the last 30 years should be curtailed. The FAIR website maintains a database of immigration news from many sources.

 

Minuteman Project

http://www.minutemanproject.com/

A grassroots effort to bring Americans to the defense of their homeland… This call for volunteers is not a call to arms, but a call to voices seeking a peaceful and respectable resolve to the chaotic neglect by members of our local, state and federal governments charged with applying U.S. immigration law. It is a call to peacefully assemble at the Arizona-Mexico border to bring national awareness to the decades-long careless disregard of effective U.S. immigration law enforcement. …

 

Numbers USA

http://www.numbersusa.com/index

NumbersUSA examines numerical levels of annual legal and illegal immigration and provides information to educate the public about the immigration-reduction recommendations from recent national commissions. As a resource for voters, NumbersUSA exhaustively details the positions on immigration taken by each member of Congress.

 

United to Secure America

http://www.secureamerica.info/

United to Secure America (USA/SECURE AMERICA) is a national coalition that believes immigration should be in the national interest, and that to protect all Americans, we must restore integrity to America’s immigration system and effectively enforce our laws.