Immigration

Immigration to the United States directly affects the lives of millions of people every year, whether someone is seeking to visit, work here, or immigrate to join family members. Yet, reliable sources estimate the population of illegal immigrants in the United States to be as high as 11 million, demonstrating the ineffectiveness of current policies and the need for a new approach.

Immigration is a comprehensive examination of U.S. immigration policies and their impact on the nation, combining a historical overview and a guide to how immigration works in practice. In this one-volume compendium on the history, politics, culture, and contributions of immigrants to the United States, the author uses his experience in key immigration policy posts to provide an insider's perspective on a broad array of immigration-related issues.

Offering a detached, unbiased analysis of the economic, fiscal, and other impacts of current immigration policies, he recommends reforms and policy solutions for the thorniest immigration issues, such as illegal immigration. But the book does not ignore the fact that immigration has always enriched and strengthened our nation. Along with policy considerations, it also encompasses enlightening profiles detailing the many contributions of individual immigrants in such diverse areas as science, sports, the military, and business.

Stuart Anderson is executive director of the National Foundation for American Policy, a research group in Arlington, VA.