US immigration in the 21st century

The immigration policies of the Bush Administration

The US immigration policy started shifting again in the 2000s following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. As the attacks were carried out by Muslim terrorists, the reaction of the American authorities focused on two aspects: fighting terrorism and enforcing immigration legislation. Border security and removing immigrants who potentially posed a threat to American security became priorities. However, the US also claimed that the country would continue to receive law-abiding legal immigrants and to support their integration in American society.

Prior to the 9/11 events, immigration was already a highly debated topic in the US throughout the 1990s, as millions of immigrants from Central America were coming to the US to work. This resulted in the first debates about securing the border with Mexico.

Before the terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush adopted a moderate position on immigration and talked about passing an immigration reform. But after the 9/11 attacks, the government and public began to see enforcing immigration laws as a way of combatting terrorism.

By 2002, the Homeland Security Act was passed, creating three institutions related to immigration: Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). These agencies received considerable funding and were meant to enforce immigration laws.

At the same time, the number of deportations of illegal immigrants and immigrant criminals increased both during Bush’s and Barack Obama’s administrations. Despite these measures, illegal immigration continued. Statistics estimate that, in 2008, there were 12 million illegal immigrants in the US, up from 8.5 million in 2000.

Another important measure that targeted immigration was the Secure Communities program, which was launched in 20...