Showing papers by "Migration Policy Institute published in 2013"

Immigration Reform: A Long Road To Citizenship And Insurance Coverage

Abstract: The 2012 elections reinvigorated the drive for overhauling US immigration laws, but citizenship and health coverage for millions of unauthorized immigrants could still be a decade or more away.

Welfare reform's ineligible immigrant parents: Program reach and enrollment barriers

Abstract: Since the implementation of the 1996 welfare reform act, the child-only Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) caseload has increased dramatically. Perhaps the least understood child-only population is that of ineligible immigrant parents (IIPs), who are ineligible for TANF because of their citizenship or immigration status. Using data collected through in-depth interviews and focus groups in Stanislaus County, California, this study examines how well California's TANF program serves this at-risk group. We analyze the factors that lead IIPs to seek aid for their children, the enrollment obstacles they face, and TANF's ability to meet their needs. Our results demonstrate that immigration-related fears as well as concerns about caseworkers, stigma, and future government sanctions heighten these parents' reluctance to seek aid. They also create multiple and often population-specific barriers to TANF enrollment. We close with research and policy recommendations for serving this vulnerable population.

The Politics and Policy of Skilled Economic Immigration Under New Labour, 1997–2010

Abstract: Changes to British immigration policy under the Labour government (1997-2010) have been significant. The analysis provided here suggests at least two distinct policy phases. The first phase marked a liberalisation of the system that can be attributed in large part to a combination of the business lobby’s influence and economic growth combined with increased global integration of the UK economy. The second phase—including the creation of the Points-Based System—did not reverse the core policy goal of managed economic migration, but asserted strong control elements in a rule-bound system. This later period of policy change can be attributed to new political and social realities following the 2004 expansion of the European Union and the General Election of 2005 together with greater political attention to public opinion on immigration generally. Future trends will include a cap on non-EU migration.

Sensitive subjects: research choices and presentational challenges in studying immigrant children and families.

Abstract: We write from our own experience as researchers on the integration of immigrants and their children, describing several ethical and research considerations that we addressed. In one study we examined the use of public benefits among immigrant families. This study posed issues regarding the selection of which “benefits” should be considered as “welfare”; how to construct comparison groups of immigrants versus natives; and the political sensitivities in reporting widely high use rates of certain benefits, particularly Medicaid. A second study examined the effects of parental detention and deportation on children. It raised issues regarding identifying samples of immigrants to interview, creating trust with interviewees and protecting their confidentiality, and examining the views not just of advocates and families but others involved in the process (such as law enforcement officials) to ensure their perspectives were reflected in resulting reports. A third project examined the young children of Black immigrants—a group that varies widely in their modes of entry, recency of arrival, and levels of human capital. To avoid simplistic misinterpretations, we disaggregated data by national origin where possible and ensured that the results highlight both the risks and protective factors identified. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.