Immigration and Immigrant Rights

Immigration continues to be a pressing issue that is engendering charged and volatile national debate, much of which disproportionately ignores Asian Americans.  However, three statistics underlie the critical stake Asian Americans have in this debate: nearly 40 percent of all immigrants to the U.S. come from Asia, 1.2 million of them are undocumented, and nearly two-thirds of all Asian Americans are foreign-born.

As the nation's premiere authority on immigration policy as it affects the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, AAJC has long led the struggle to educate the public, lawmakers and the media on the pressing need to overhaul our nation's badly broken immigration system.

We provide the Asian American community with essential information, insight and analysis on newly enacted and proposed immigration policies. We have also successfully helped initiate bipartisan reform in the House and Senate that addresses many of the pressing needs of the community. 

AAJC has also long maintained its leadership on issues affecting the civil rights of all immigrants, including those who are undocumented.  Our program has focused on immigration enforcement and racial profiling, due process rights, detention standards, removal and repatriation regulations and anti-immigrant state and local legislation.  AAJC has further authored and signed on to a number of amicus curiae briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court and appellate courts in cases affecting the rights of immigrants, and is currently embarking on an impact litigation program. 

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED IN IMMIGRATION REFORM:

 A Call to Action - Community Toolkit  This toolkit provides information to help advocates and community members get involved in national and local efforts to support immigration reform.  

Text “AAPI” to 69866. Joining Reform Immigration FOR America’s Cell Phone Action Network to receive periodic text messages on immigration news and events.

Sign our online petition in support of the Reuniting Families Act.  Demonstrate your support for family-based immigration and receive important alerts about legislation and activities.

Join our postcard campaign.  Send your contact information to mhigashi@advancingequality.org to have a postcard sent on your behalf to Congress demanding comprehensive immigration reform now. 

Click here for publications and materials. Visit our Media Center for recent news releases.

Finding an Immigration Lawyer - AAJC does not provide legal advice in individual cases. We have developed this list of immigration lawyer referral services in order to assist your search in finding an immigration lawyer.  

Program Contacts
Ronald H. Lee 
Senior Staff Attorney, Immigration and Immigrant Rights Program
Phone: 202-296-2300, x124
Fax: 202-296-2318

Staff Attorney/NAPABA Law Foundation Partners and In-House Counsel Community Law Fellow

Phone: 202-296-2300, x140

Fax: 202-296-2318