Immigration
Borders, visas, asylum, and the status of people already here.
Immigration status is almost entirely federal. States cannot grant status or visas, but they decide a great deal about how people already here live: licenses, in-state tuition, benefits and whether local police cooperate with federal enforcement.
Who decides this
- Congress
- Visas, asylum, citizenship, deportation law, border policy, and enforcement funding.
- Your state
- Driver licenses, in-state tuition, professional licensing, and state benefit eligibility.
- Your city or county
- Whether local law enforcement cooperates with federal immigration detainers.
In Congress Senate Judiciary · House Judiciary · House Homeland Security
1 open question
Common questions
- Can my state give someone legal status?
- No. Status is federal only. States can change access to licenses, tuition and state programs, which is where most state immigration legislation sits.