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IMMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES
A UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE LIBRARIES RESOURCE GUIDE
This guide is for students, faculty, and other scholars and researchers who need statistics and other information about Immigration. Many of the government agencies that helped immigrants have moved to the Department of Homeland Security. Researchers will find this guide handy for finding the new agencies that provide services to immigrants.
Download or print this guide - 160 KB PDF file
STATISTICS
Statistics on legal immigration are relatively easy to find. Many are available from the Department of Homeland Security, the agency which, since 2003, oversees most activities formerly conducted by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Other statistics are available from the U.S. Census website.
Department of Homeland Security Immigration Statistics
http://www.dhs.gov/ximgtn/statistics/
This site provides tables, maps, and other data on legal immigrants such as the number eligible for citizenship in a given year. There is also data here on trends in immigration, some statistics on undocumented immigrants, apprehensions, and deportations.
There is also a link to the annual Yearbook of Immigration Statistics.
The data and statistics section has profiles of naturalized citizens and legal permanent residents, and maps indicating countries of origin and class of admission.
United States Foreign-Born population
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/foreign.html
Data tables, Fact Sheet from the American Community Survey, and reports.
http://www.census.gov/popest/international.html
International and internal migration and natural increase at the national, state and county level, and population projections to 2050.
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS
U.S. Government websites such as DHS contains minimal information on undocumented immigrants, so other sources are needed for more detailed reports and trends. See also the subject headings for catalogs and databases for more detailed historical overviews of undocumented immigration.
LexisNexis Statistical A UT Libraries Database
This source indexes the Statistical Reference Index, the American Statistical Index, and the Index to International Statistics. Information on specific countries and ethnic groups is available here, as well as economic statistical information.
Pew Hispanic Center
http://pewhispanic.org/
Though this site mainly covers topics on Hispanic immigration, it has plenty of data on undocumented immigrants in general, such as “Estimates of the Size and Characteristics of the Undocumented Population.” There are also historical overviews on immigration. For the researcher studying Hispanic immigration, this source is invaluable.
Also see CQ Researcher May 6, 2005 • Volume 15, Number 17 “Illegal Immigration.”
Overview and analysis of issues regarding illegal immigration; bibliography.
FEDERAL AGENCIES
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Pub. L. No. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135), moved many former INS/Department of Department of Justice functions to the new Department of Homeland Security, http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/ and divided the INS into two agencies, USCIS and ICE.
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
http://www.ice.gov/
The ICE website gives the agency’s mission and highlights its enforcement programs and activities. It does not have the same depth and breadth of general statistical information or research reports that the DHS site does.
USCIS: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm
This site provides links to laws, public laws pertaining to immigration, and a compilation of historical statutes from 1790 to 1996. There are also links to current USCIS Federal Register announcements. There are also links to handbooks, manuals and guides for immigrants and those who provide services to them.
CRS Report for Congress
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rs20936.pdf
Order Code RS20936
Updated September 9, 2004
The Congressional Research Service provides in-depth reports for Congress on many issues. This report, Immigration, a Guide to Web Resources provides web addresses for government, legal and organizational groups who provide immigration services. This site would be useful for tracking the changes in agency responsibilities, as well as finding non-governmental organizations. It also provides exact Internet addresses for specific topics, instead of just the parent organization. This makes for ease of searching.
LEGISLATION
Free and available to the public
THOMAS—legal information from the Library of Congress
http://thomas.loc.gov/
Use this site to find information about activities in the current Congress, such as legislation, schedules and calendars, and the daily digest from Congressional Record. For previous Congresses, there is a search engine for public laws and appropriations bills.
LexisNexis Congressional A UT Libraries Database
Legislative histories; House and Senate reports, hearings and prints; bills and public laws. Dates covered: 1789 –
Select "Regulations" to search the U.S. Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations. There is a very useful Help section on this database, including of glossary of legislative terms used in the database.
RECENT AND HISTORICAL COURT CASES
FindLaw’s Case Summaries
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/casesummary/index.html
Search by legal topic “Immigration Law.” Select U.S. Supreme Court or circuit court of appeals. A few state courts are listed, too.
Cornell University Supreme Court Collection
http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/index.html
Search by topic for ‘immigration.’ Cases are arranged 1990-present, or historical.
See also LexisNexis Academic (outlined below)
GOVERNMENT GROUPS WORKING WITH IMMIGRANTS OR REFUGEES
Division of Immigration Health Services
http://www.inshealth.org/default.htm
The Division of Immigration Health Service (DIHS) provides a nationwide clinical operations function within the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
Department of State
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
http://www.stategov/g/prm/asst/
“The U.S. Government funds protection and life-sustaining relief for millions of refugees and victims of conflict around the globe. The United States also admits tens of thousands of refugees annually for permanent resettlement. PRM administers and monitors U.S. contributions to international and non-governmental organizations to assist and protect refugees abroad. In overseeing admissions of refugees to the United States for permanent resettlement, the Bureau works closely with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Department of Health and Human Services, and various state and private voluntary agencies.”
NEWS AND GENERAL IMMIGRATION TOPICS
FindLaw legal news
http://news.findlaw.com/legalnews/us/im/
Current news stories on immigration topics, links to other sources and agencies such as the ACLU.
Findlaw Immigration Resources
http://immigration.findlaw.com/immigration/immigration-overview.html
Good explanation of laws and policies; designed for immigrant population, but could be useful for researchers.
LexisNexis Academic A UT Libraries Database U.S. federal and state legal news and court cases. Dates covered: varies; U.S. Supreme Court coverage back to 1789.
Start your search first by choosing Quick Info, News, or Legal Research.
U.S. Government Manual
Hodges Library Reference DeskJK421.A3
Also available electronically at http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS2410
Issued annually, this source gives a complete listing of agencies of the legislative, judicial and executive branch. Use this source when searching for an agency’s purpose, its officials, and its activities.
The Grey House Homeland Security Directory
Hodges Library Reference HV6432 .G748
Now in its 3rd edition, this directory lists and describes many different agencies with Homeland Security duties, not just those in the Department of Homeland Security. This directory also lists state agencies, and includes a section on companies which sell security equipment and services.
SUBJECT HEADINGS AND DESCRIPTORS
LC Subject Headings
Illegal aliens—United States—Statistics
Immigration—United States—Statistics
Immigrants—United States—History
Immigrants—United States—Statistics
United States—Emigration and Immigration—Government Policy
United States—Emigration and Immigration—History
SuDocs class(es)
HS 8—Homeland Security; USCIS (2003 forward)
J 21—Justice Department; Immigration and Naturalization Service (prior to 2003)
PAIS Public Affairs Information Service A UT Libraries Database The PAIS database contains citations to journal articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, reports, international agency publications. It does not include newspaper articles or newsletters. Dates covered: 1937-
Subject Terms to use in PAIS:
Alien labor -- United States
Aliens, Illegal -- United States
Employment -- Aliens, Illegal –United States
Immigrants -- United States
Immigration and emigration -- United States
United States -- Immigration policy
Homeland Security Digital Library A UT Libraries Database
Collection of U.S. policy documents, federal, state and municipal publications, links to web sites, journal articles, multimedia, theses, gray literature, and Homeland Security related news.
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.
http://catalog.gpo.gov/F
The Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) is the finding tool for electronic and print publications from the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the U.S. government. These publications make up the National Bibliography of U.S. Government Publications. The CGP contains descriptive records for historical and current publications and provides direct links to those that are available online.
For those especially interested in Latino immigration, please see the website for the 2006 UT conference at:
http://www.lib.utk.edu/~refs/imm-conf/
Click ‘links’ to go to general information resources, and ‘Information Resources’ to go to items owned by UT Libraries.
Alison Bentley
LouAnn Blocker
February 21, 2007
About Periodicals/Government Documents and Microforms
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