From Open Door to ICE Immigration policy, Economics and Power

In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson passed the Immigration and Nationality Act, the foundation of modern America’s way of dealing with legal and illegal immigrants. It was touted as “Opening the door to the world.” Since then, illegal immigration has become a deeply controversial subject, prompting the breakup of families, the militarization of borders, the creation of detention centers, the targeting of immigrant neighborhoods and workplaces, and the vast expansion of agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This set of lectures will explore how and why this has happened since 1965 -- with special focus on legal, economic and demographic trends and impacts here in the 21st century.