One year into the Trump Administration’s immigration agenda, the damage to the United States is unmistakable. Sweeping deportation plans, extreme restrictions on legal immigration, and an enforcement-first approach have failed to make the nation safer or stronger. Instead, they have damaged the U.S. economy and global standing, destabilized families and businesses, undermined public safety, and eroded trust in government. High profile abuses by ICE and CBP have shocked the country, but they reflect deeper systemic failures—legal pathways slowed to a crawl, constitutional protections disregarded, and humanitarian safeguards dismantled.
Americans are paying attention. Public opposition to these policies is growing, signaling a clear demand for solutions that restore order without sacrificing fairness, security, or the rule of law.
To meet this moment, AILA presents A Better Way on Immigration, a series of policy briefs examining the real-world consequences of the Trump Administration’s first year and outlining a forward-looking framework for reform. The briefs, to be published in February and March, will show how extreme vetting, delays in processing applications, and restrictions and closures of legal immigration channels have undermined national security, public safety, and the economy and destabilized legal pathways for families, workers, and businesses. They will also demonstrate how changes to immigration enforcement have disregarded the Constitution and the rule of law, reduced operational effectiveness, and closed off humanitarian protection for those fleeing danger. Together, these briefs show why America needs a better way forward—and how we can achieve it.