Though we are a nation of immigrants, Americans have always been ambivalent about immigration. While we have benefited tremendously from immigration, there is a heated public debate going on now as to whether immigration continues to benefit us. That debate is a policy debate and a political one. Are immigrants good for America? How many immigrants should we admit? What kinds of immigrants should we admit? How should we treat immigrants once they are here? How do voters feel about the ideas being proposed?

In the Research Center you will find links to resources from a variety of sources on a range of topics that are part of the debate. Included here are basic explanations of how the immigration system works; short pieces highlighting specific facts; policy papers explaining the merits of particular policy positions; an archive of surveys of public opinion on immigration and other information to help you understand the issues.