Immigrants and Refugees

U.S. citizens are far from alone in feeling the effects of rapid changes in U.S. policy following September 11. The "new normal" in U.S. national security policy has been marked by an important shift in the U.S. position toward immigrants and refugees. Far from viewing immigrants as a pillar of strength, too many aspects of U.S. policy now reflects an assumption that immigrants are a primary national threat. The Justice Department's enforcement of immigration laws has ranged from "haphazard" (as the Department's own inspector general put it) to rigorously selective - targeting Arab, Muslim, and South Asian minorities to the exclusion of other groups. And despite the sustained focus on immigrants, there is growing evidence that recent crack downs have done little to improve Americans' safety.

Human Rights First works closely with policy makers, immigration advocates, grassroots organizations, and in the courts to fight for the lawful and humane treatment of asylum seekers and immigrants. For background on developments related to the treatment of immigrants and refugees in the United States, see Chapter 3 (PDF 396 KB) of our report, Assessing the New Normal, or visit the pages of our Asylum Program website.