Reference Shelf: Immigration

Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s recent proposals to devote large amounts of federal spending into deporting all undocumented immigrants and to build a wall between the United States and Mexico are only two of the latest controversial ideas in the ongoing discussion over immigration. Historically, there have been two sides to the debate. One side tends to blame immigration for society’s economic and social troubles and calls for restricting and reversing the numbers of immigrants to the United States, while the other side contends that the United States is a nation of immigrants and condemns anti-immigrant rhetoric as racist and xenophobic. This volume will explore the various aspects of the conversation, including such hot-button talking points as so-called “anchor babies,” as well as recent policy discussions related to the DREAM Act, counter-terrorism, the policing of borders, and education.