"What part of illegal don¿t you understand?" This oft-repeated slogan from immigration restrictionists reveals the highly contentious quality of immigration reform.. American immigration policies have not experience a comprehensive overhall since 1986, as debates continue into another election cycle.¿

This textbook takes a critical perspective on how current immigration¿ laws have been formulated. Central insights from the rich immigration literature and from law and society scholars show how "illegality" is itself produced by law, a status with challenging consequences for individuals and families. Various periods of liberalization and restriction in U.S. history demonstrate that politics shape law and, consequently, whether and how immigrants can come to the U.S. and what opportunities are made available to them once they arrive. This insight is crucial to the current debate because it returns the decision about our collective treatment of immigrants to the realm of politics and society. Here we can reconsider the efficacy and humanity of current immigration law.

The Immigration Debate offers this and other critical insights to students who may be unfamiliar with analyses of immigration developed in the fields of sociology, law and society, economics, geography, ethnic studies, and critical race studies. This text will serve as an introduction to the study of immigration and a primer for those who wish to engage in a sober and compassionate conversation about immigration.