Defenses to Removal
Deportation to a Third Country: Notice and Legal Rights
A third-country removal sends a person being deported somewhere other than the country their removal order names. It can happen to people with final removal orders,…
Immigration
Immigration is the movement of people into a country to visit, work, study, or live. In the United States, Congress writes immigration law, federal agencies run the visa, residence, and citizenship systems, and special courts decide many cases. The topic covers the legal ways to come and stay, how laws are enforced, the needs of immigrants, and the policy debates over who should be admitted and on what terms.
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October 10last updated
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Referenced by Brookings, CNN, Forbes, Fox News, Pew Research, Snopes, The Hill and USA Today.
The Webby-recognized AI behind our articles »
Latest in Immigration
Immigration Enforcement
Third-Country Deportation: How Destinations Are Chosen
The United States can deport a person to a country other than their own. Many people sent to a third country lack citizenship, legal status, social…
Family-based Immigration
Why Family Green-Card Waits Can Last Decades
Learn how family visa categories, priority dates, and life events like marriage or death can affect a green card case stuck in decades-long backlogs.
Getting a Green Card
How to Get a Green Card: The Main Paths
Breaks down the four legal paths to a green card, family, employer, humanitarian, and the diversity lottery, with costs and wait times.
Topics in Immigration
Paths and visas
The main legal routes to the country are covered under Legal Immigration Pathways and Visas and Temporary Status, and the duties of businesses that hire or sponsor foreign workers are covered under Employer Immigration Compliance.
Legal Immigration Pathways
16 articles
- U.S. Asylum System: Why It Exists and How It’s Being Reshaped
- US Asylum Policy: How America Compares to Other Countries
- The I Visa for Foreign Media and Journalists
Residence and citizenship
Lasting status is covered under Green Cards and Permanent Residence and Citizenship, and the records and benefits that come with it are covered under Immigration Services and Documents.
Enforcement and courts
Border control, detention, and removal are covered under Immigration Enforcement, the hearings and appeals that follow under Immigration Courts and Legal Process, and the special concerns of children, survivors, and families under Vulnerable Populations.
Policy
The laws, limits, and proposals that shape the whole system are covered under Immigration Policy.
All Articles on Immigration
Detained Without a Bond Hearing? How to File a Habeas Corpus Petition.
Immigration detention habeas petitions seek federal court review of custody. Filing requires the right court, official forms, evidence and a specific remedy.
A DHS Shutdown Would Halt These Immigration Services—But Not Enforcement
When the Department of Homeland Security's money expires on February 13, 2026, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will keep investigating, detaining, and deporting people.…
The Statutory Authority Behind ICE’s Mass Enforcement Operations
In December 2025, the Trump administration announced Operation Metro Surge, with initial arrests of about 12 people by December 5. In January 2026, Immigration…
When Federal Agencies Ignore Court Orders, Judges Have These Enforcement Tools
In late January 2026, U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz ordered the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to appear in his Minneapolis courtroom and…
A Judge Ordered His Release From ICE Custody. Why Did It Take a Week?
Since January 1, 2026, immigration attorneys in Minnesota have filed 691 petitions using habeas corpus to challenge their clients' detention as unlawful. In all…
How Immigration Judges Decide Who Gets Released on Bond—And Who Doesn’t
As of late January 2026, more than 70,000 people were in immigration detention, and a federal appeals court ruled that tens of thousands of…
What Due Process Rights Apply to Noncitizens Detained Inside the U.S.
By mid-January 2026, ICE held a record 73,000 people in immigration detention—a number that had grown dramatically over the previous year. On February 6,…
Why Circuit Courts Keep Reaching Opposite Conclusions on Immigration Detention
More than 360 federal judges said no. Then one appeals court said yes. On February 6, 2026, a divided panel of the Fifth Circuit…
Legal Basis for Detention Without Bond Hearings, Explained
By mid-January 2026, ICE was detaining approximately 73,000 individuals—the highest level in the agency's 23-year history. A federal appeals court handed the Trump administration…
What the Fourth Amendment Requires Before ICE Can Enter Your Home
In January, federal agents forced their way into a St. Paul home looking for someone who no longer lived there. The man they found…