Protests have begun again on social media in opposition to US President Donald Trump's executive orders to bar nationals of several Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States.

News that first lady Melania Trump's parents have obtained green cards raises questions about whether their legal permanent residency here benefitted from the very set of immigration laws that President Trump wants to eliminate. Lisa Desjardins talks with John C. Yang of Asian Americans Advancing Justice and Art Arthur from the Center for Immigration Studies about family-based immigration.

U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) made changes to its mission statement on Feb. 22, taking out the phrases “secures America’s promise as a nation of immigrants” and “promoting an awareness and understanding of citizenship,” and adding the words “protecting Americans, securing the homeland.

The word “customer” was also removed from the statement.

This week on To The Contrary: a special documentary edition that looks at the latest trends in immigration and how they will shape the future of our country. We take a look at the different backgrounds, education levels, and skillsets that people bring to the US, as well as controversies surrounding access to higher education.

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Washington, D.C.— Asian Americans Advancing Justice, an affiliation of five civil rights organizations, issues the following statement:

WASHINGTON — Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Judy Chu (D-Pasadena) and CAPAC Immigration Task Force Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) on Oct. 30 released the following statements in response to President Trump’s plan to use an executive order to end the 14th Amendment’s promise of birthright citizenship:

In the run-up to the midterm elections, U.S. President Trump suggested he may try and alter the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which automatically grants citizenship to those born on U.S. soil.

Under the narrative often offered by those who seek to restrict immigration, there is a “good immigrant” who contributes to the growth of the country, and a “bad immigrant” who is undocumented and therefore must be a criminal and deported immediately.

But life is never that simple. As demonstrated by a recent case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, there are many grey areas. That case also demonstrates the importance of good legal counsel. 

Asian-American activists are standing firmly against the recently introduced bill to curb legal immigration. 

FEATURING MEGAN HORN ESSAHEB – Donald Trump last week threw his weight behind a legislative bill aimed at immigration. But it was not a bill targeting undocumented immigration, rather legal immigration and in particular family sponsorship. The bill, called the RAISE Act has made it through the House in an earlier version. This version, introduced by GOP Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue is being touted by the White House as a, “merit-based immigration system that protects our workers, our taxpayers, and our economy.”