The Future of U.S. Migration Policy: Addressing and Improving the Current System

Abstract

The United States has historically acted as a beacon for international migrants, many seeking the ideological “American Dream” that has been preserved within the foundation of the United States’ national identity. Despite being a nation constructed by migrants and the descendants of migrants, the United States has remained inconsistent in regard to establishing viable immigration and refugee policy. Since the 1960s, the U.S. has acted as a hub for migration, currently home to one-fifth of the world’s migrants.[i] With the increased prevalence of humanitarian crises across the world, the rise in globalized migration has the international community questioning the United States and the Trump administrations’ restrictionist stance on migration. During Donald Trump’s 2016 electoral campaign, immigration and refugee policy were placed as a focal point. Utilizing discriminatory rhetoric towards Muslim refugees and Hispanic immigrants, President Trump’s evidenced a clear favor for closed border policies that put America first. Within the first few months after Trump took office, multiple executive orders were issued that explicitly targeted immigrants and refugees.