Papers presented in a seminar series conducted by the Department of Economics at Western Michigan University.

Immigration is one of the critical issues of our time. In Citizens, Strangers, and In-Betweens, an integrated series of fourteen essays, Yale professor Peter Schuck analyzes the complex social forces that have been unleashed by unprecedented legal and illegal migration to the United States, forces that are reshaping American society in countless ways. Schuck first presents the demographic, political, economic, legal, and cultural contexts in which these transformations are occurring. He then shows how the courts, Congress, and the states are responding to the tensions created by recent immigration. Next, he explores the nature of American citizenship, challenging traditional ways of defining the national community and analyzing the controversial topics of citizenship for illegal alien children, the devaluation and revaluation of American citizenship, and plural citizenship. In a concluding section, Schuck focuses on four vital and explosive policy issues: immigration's effects on the civil rights movement, the cultural differences among various American ethnic groups as revealed in their experiences as immigrants throughout the world, the protection of refugees fleeing persecution, and immigration's effects on American society in recent years.

This anthology is a compendium of opinion on the extent, law-enforcement, citizenship-possibilities, and potential reform of the U.S.'s immigration practices. The writings in this anthology have been selected to introduce your readers to a wide array of divergent viewpoints on topics relating to immigration. Written by foremost authorities, these essays express contrasting views on issues such as illegal immigration and immigration reform. Each chapter asks a relevant question about the topic, and the viewpoints that follow are grouped into “yes” and “no” categories. This format provides readers with a concise view of different opinions on each topic. Contains extensive book and periodical bibliographies.

Editor Margaret Haerens has compiled several essays that debate four main questions. Does illegal immigration harm America? Does the United States treat illegal immigrants fairly? How should America enforce its borders? How should U.S. immigration policy be reformed? Essays are in a pro versus con format so that readers can activate their critical thinking skills. Essay sources include George W. Bush, Phyllis Schlafly, William F. Jasper, Cinnamon Stillwell, and Border Action Network.

The topic of 'illegal' immigration has been a major aspect of public discourse in the United States and many other immigrant-receiving countries. From the beginning of its modern invocation in the early twentieth century, the often ill-defined epithet of human 'illegality' has figured prominently in the media; in vigorous public debates at the national, state, and local levels; and in presidential campaigns. In this collection of essays, contributors from a variety of disciplines - anthropology, law, political science, religious studies, and sociology - examine how immigration law shapes immigrant illegality, how the concept of immigrant illegality is deployed and lived, and how its power is wielded and resisted. The authors conclude that the current concept of immigrant illegality is in need of sustained critique, as careful analysis will aid policy discussions and lead to more just solutions.

The Immigration Act of 1965 was one of the most consequential laws ever passed in the United States and immigration policy continues to be one of the most contentious areas of American politics. As a "nation of immigrants," the United States has a long and complex history of immigration programs and controls which are deeply connected to the shape of American society today. This volume makes sense of the political history and the social impacts of immigration law, showing how legislation has reflected both domestic concerns and wider foreign policy. John S. W. Park examines how immigration law reforms have inspired radically different responses across all levels of government, from cooperation to outright disobedience, and how they continue to fracture broader political debates. He concludes with an overview of how significant, on-going challenges in our interconnected world, including "failed states" and climate change, will shape American migrations for many decades to come.