

This Week in Immigration
Bipartisan Policy Center
This Week in Immigration gives you a rundown of key immigration issues. Experts from the Bipartisan Policy Center discuss and analyze all that is new and noteworthy on immigration policy.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 7, 2024 • 47min
Ep. 169: How to Make Immigration Popular Through Demonstrably Beneficial Policies
In this week's episode, BPC Senior Advisor Theresa Cardinal Brown and Senior Policy Analyst Jack Malde chat with Alexander Kustov, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. We discuss Professor Kustov's research on how we might, or might not, be able to shift public opinion in the United States to increase support for immigration. One promising approach, that will be the subject of Professor Kustov's forthcoming book "In Our Interest: How to Make Immigration Popular", is adopting demonstrably beneficial policies that make voters confident their government is managing immigration in their interest.

Apr 23, 2024 • 40min
Ep. 168: A Legal Services Collaborative for Immigrant New Yorkers
Camille Mackler, Founder of Immigrant ARC, discusses challenges faced by immigrants in NY, providing legal aid and work permits. They highlight the importance of government support, collaboration with legal service providers, and the need for systemic changes to support immigrant communities.

Apr 9, 2024 • 50min
Ep. 167: Interview with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Chief of Staff
Theresa Cardinal Brown and Jack Malde interview Michael D. Lumpkin, Chief of Staff for ICE. They discuss ICE's missions, challenges like budget constraints and US-Mexico border arrivals. Technology's role, future outlook, and the importance of leadership in immigration enforcement are highlighted.

Mar 26, 2024 • 30min
Ep. 166: Immigration Driving the Economy and Its Relation to Social Security
In this week's episode, BPC Senior Advisor Theresa Cardinal Brown and Senior Policy Analyst Jack Malde discuss the role that recent high levels of immigration have played in driving the economy. They then welcome BPC Associate Director Emerson Sprick to discuss the role that increased immigration can play in securing Social Security solvency.

Mar 12, 2024 • 49min
Ep. 165: Can Biden Fix the Border? A Deep Dive
In this week's episode, BPC Senior Advisor Theresa Cardinal Brown and Senior Policy Analyst Jack Malde do a deep dive into the claim, made by several Republicans, that President Biden can use his executive power to solve the border crisis without Congress.

Feb 27, 2024 • 35min
Ep. 164: Homelessness in the U.S. – Is Immigration the Issue?
In this week's episode, BPC Senior Advisor Theresa Cardinal Brown and Senior Policy Analyst Jack Malde chat with Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and Francis Torres, a Senior Policy Analyst in Housing Policy at BPC, about homelessness in the U.S. We cover the scale of the issue, its causes, the extent to which immigration has exacerbated the issue, and the vital solutions needed.

Feb 13, 2024 • 40min
Ep. 163: A (Failed) Bipartisan Border Deal and Barriers to Immigrant Tax Credit Access
In this week's episode, BPC Senior Advisor Theresa Cardinal Brown talks us through the recent failed bipartisan border deal. Then, Theresa and Senior Policy Analyst Jack Malde chat to Policy Analyst Arianna Fano about a new BPC report examining the barriers immigrant families face in the take-up of tax credits. The Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) are crucial anti-poverty tools but many individuals in need—including a disproportionate share of eligible immigrants—do not claim these credits for a variety of reasons. We also chat to BPC Associate Director Emerson Sprick who tells us about a recent bipartisan tax bill that includes an expansion of the Child Tax Credit. Bipartisan Policy Center report: Pathways to Prosperity Bipartisan Policy Center blog: Barriers to Tax Credit Education and Take-Up Among Immigrant Communities In this episode: (00:00) Introduction (01:17) The (Failed) Bipartisan Border Deal (09:58) BPC's Report On Immigrant Access To Tax Credits (31:00) The Recent Bipartisan Tax Bill (38:35) Outro

Jan 30, 2024 • 29min
Ep. 162: A Rebounding Refugee Resettlement Program
In this week's episode, BPC Senior Advisor Theresa Cardinal Brown chats with Mark Hetfield, President & CEO at HIAS and Claire Holba, an Immigration Policy Fellow at the Niskanen Center, about the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program. Mark tells us about the experience and challenges of refugee resettlement agencies on the ground, while Claire dives into the data around the Resettlement Program, highlighting something of a recent revival in its fortunes. Niskanen Center: New data confirms that the U.S. rebuilt the refugee resettlement program HIAS – Welcome the stranger. Protect the refugee.

Jan 16, 2024 • 47min
Ep. 161: Border Talks and a Data-Driven Approach to Workforce Shortages
In this week's episode, BPC Senior Advisor Theresa Cardinal Brown runs through the latest negotiations on Capitol Hill for a potential border security deal. If Congress fails to reach a deal, we could see a government shutdown. Then, Theresa and BPC Senior Policy Analyst Jack Malde interview Lindsay Milliken, an immigration fellow at the Institute for Progress, who is lead author of a new report detailing a data-driven method to identify workforce shortages and update DOL's Schedule A Shortage Occupation List. Institute for Progress Research Report: Help Wanted: Modernizing the Schedule A Shortage Occupation List In this episode: (00:00) Opening (01:10) Theresa on the latest negotiations on border security (18:33) Lindsay Milliken on workforce shortages and Schedule A

Dec 19, 2023 • 59min
Ep. 160: Reporting on a Humanitarian Immigration Crisis in a Divided Political Context
In this week's episode, BPC Senior Advisor Theresa Cardinal Brown chats with three exceptional national and local immigration reporters to understand what it's like to cover immigration at a time of rising migration, increased humanitarian challenges, and a polarized political climate. Camilo Montoya-Galvez of CBS News, Maria Sacchetti of the Washington Post and Uriel Garcia of the Texas Tribune take us through their experiences covering national and local immigration developments over the past year, both on the ground and from a distance. Listen to hear all about the policy, politics, and humanity of covering immigration in the United States.


