Migration Policy Institute Podcasts

A Conversation with the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees T. Alexander Aleinikoff about the Syrian Crisis, Other UNHCR Work

More than two and a half years of violent conflict in Syria have left between one-quarter and one-third of the Syrian population displaced internally or seeking refuge abroad, with many still departing the country. UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees T. Alexander Aleinikoff joined Kathleen Newland, who directs MPI's refugee protection work, for a discussion on what is now considered one of the biggest humanitarian emergencies in a generation. In addition to discussing the key concerns UNHCR has identified in the Syrian crisis and the regional and international responses, Mr. Aleinikoff and Ms. Newland discussed some of UNHCR’s other priorities and areas of action, such as the Somalian refugee situation and prospects for innovation in UNHCR.

Life Beyond Congressional Action

This panel discussion at the 10th annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference held on October 31, 2013 examines immigration policy areas that lend themselves to possible administrative action. Panelists discussed what roles the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative, prosecutorial discretion, and provisional unlawful presence waivers play, and how states and local governments might respond to the presence of both unauthorized and authorized immigrants. The discussion was moderated by Jeanne Atkinson, Executive Director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC). The panelists were Marielena Hincapié, Executive Director, National Immigration Law Center; Lynden Melmed, Partner, Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP; and Wendy Young, President, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). The Law and Policy Conference was organized by the Migration Policy Institute, Georgetown University Law Center, the Center for Migration Studies of New York, and CLINIC.

A New Reality at the Border: Assessing Current Conditions and Considerations for Future Policy

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael J. Fisher is among panelists discussing U.S. border security measures, the impact of these measures on local communities and commerce, and the wider consequences of border security-related actions during a panel at the 10th annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference convened October 31, 2013 by the Migration Policy Institute, Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., Georgetown University Law Center, and the Center for Migration Studies of New York. The panel was moderated by Andrew I. Schoenholtz, Deputy Director of Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Migration. The other panelists joining Chief Fisher were Edward Alden, Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; and Fernando Garcia, Executive Director, Border Network for Human Rights.

Lessons from the Past: Looking to IRCA and Other Programs in Reforming the US Immigration System

During this panel discussion at the 10th annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference convened October 31, 2013 by the Migration Policy Institute, Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., Georgetown University Law Center, and the Center for Migration Studies of New York, panelists discussed the political, public policy, and implementation lessons from the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) and from recent programs, such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. The panel was moderated by Donald Kerwin, Executive Director of the Center for Migration Studies. The panelists were Muzaffar Chishti, Director of the MPI Office at NYU School of Law; Charles Kamasaki, Executive Vice President, National Council of La Raza; and Jan C. Ting, Professor of Law at the Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Former Mississippi Governor and former Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour on the Role of Immigrants in the U.S.

Former Mississippi Governor and former Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour delivered a keynote address at the 10th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference, which occurred on October 31, 2013 and was organized by the Migration Policy Institute, Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., Center for Migration Studies of New York, and Georgetown University Law Center. During his remarks, Governor Barbour touched upon the role that immigrants played in helping rebuild the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina and discussed the importance of building high-skilled, low-skilled, and temporary workforces to ensure American competitiveness and success in the global economy. He also discussed the prospects for immigration reform. Governor Barbour was introduced by MPI President Demetrios Papademetriou.

State of Play: Insights from the Field and Washington on the Immigration Reform Debate

During this panel discussion at the 10th annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference convened October 31, 2013 by the Migration Policy Institute, Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., Georgetown University Law Center, and the Center for Migration Studies of New York, panelists discussed the state of play of immigration policy and politics in Washington and in the states, the changing dynamics, and mobilizations underway by advocacy groups on both sides of the debate. The panel discussion was moderated by Doris Meissner, who directs MPI’s U.S. immigration policy program. The panelists were Roy Beck, President and CEO of Numbers USA; Fawn Johnson, National Journal Correspondent; Ryan Lizza, Washington Correspondent, The New Yorker; Bruce A. Morrison, Chair of the Morrison Public Affairs Group; and Lorella Praeli, Director of Advocacy & Policy, United We Dream.

Sen. John McCain Discusses the Prospects for Immigration Reform in the 113th Congress

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) delivers a keynote address during the 10th annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference, which occurred on October 31, 2013 and was organized by the Migration Policy Institute, Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., Center for Migration Studies of New York, and Georgetown University Law Center. During his speech, Senator McCain discussed the prospects for immigration reform, reiterated his support for reform that includes an eventual path to citizenship for the nation’s unauthorized immigrant population, and addressed criticism that the immigration legislation that passed the Senate in June 2013 would harm the economy and U.S. workers. 

The Ongoing Challenge of Ensuring Human Rights for Migrants in the European Union and United States

In this panel discussion at the Migration Policy Institute, Morten Kjaerum, Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and former Founding Director of the Danish Institute for Human Rights, discussed the state of rights protection in Europe as well as his agency’s role in this evolving arena. The FRA’s goal is to promote understanding and secure fundamental rights in the European Union, and the discussion explored the organization’s work collecting and analyzing hard-to-find data, and its strategies for using this to combat discrimination against migrants and other minority populations. Other speakers focused on the evolution of the immigrant-rights movement in the United States, with comments by Lucas Guttentag, Founder and former National Director and Senior Advisor of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project; Wade Henderson, President of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; and Becky Monroe, Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The speakers discussed shared challenges and opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic, a conversation that was particularly relevant in light of the loss of human life at Lampedusa and the deportation of a teenage Roma girl seeking asylum in France. The panel was moderated by MPI Senior Vice President Michael Fix.

Newcomers to the Aloha State: A Portrait of Mexicans in Hawaii

The Mexican-origin population in Hawai’i represents a small, but fast-growing group, and one that is little examined. This briefing at the State Capitol in Honolulu, organized in conjunction with the University of Hawaii at Manoa, marked the formal release of a Migration Policy Institute report that presents key demographic and socioeconomic information about the Mexican-origin population in Hawai’i. The briefing to discuss the report, Newcomers to the Aloha State: A Portrait of Mexicans in Hawaii, featured researchers Jeanne Batalova of MPI and the University of Hawaii's Monisha Das Gupta and Sue Haglund. Other speakers included Minister Juan Manuel Calderón Jaimes, Deputy Director General for Consular Affairs at the Mexican Foreign Ministry, and Bruce Coppa, Chief of Staff to Governor Neil Abercrombie. This is the first time that a comprehensive study on the Mexican-origin population in Hawaii has been undertaken, and the speakers discussed the demographic characteristics and experiences of this population, the vast majority of whom are either U.S. born or naturalized citizens, as well as the immigration enforcement and other policies that affect them.

A Discussion in Preparation for October’s High-Level Dialogue (HLD) on International Migration and Development: What Can We Expect?

The UN High-Level Dialogue on Migration and Development in October 2013 offers a rare opportunity for governments to open a new chapter of cooperative policy making on a force – international migration – that is fundamental to both human and national development. This MPI teleconference addresses what outcomes are expected from the High-Level Dialogue: what the major topics of debate will be, what policy areas are ripe for action, and what impact the High-Level Dialogue may have on the Global Forum on Migration and Development and the post-2015 development agenda. Speakers are: H.E. Eva Åkerman Börje, Ambassador, Secretariat for the Swedish Chairmanship of the Global Forum on Migration and Development; Gregory A. Maniatis, Special Advisor to Peter Sutherland, UN Special Representative for International Migration and MPI Senior European Policy Fellow; and Kathleen Newland, Director of MPI’s Migrants, Migration and Development Program. The call is moderated by Ms. Newland.

Engaging Diaspora Talent: How Countries Can Integrate their Diaspora and Development Agendas

Diaspora engagement has become a key and accepted component in the arsenal of development strategies. The question of how to effectively and efficiently harness the force of a country’s diaspora through government intervention and policy remains one that many governments and international organizations are grappling with as they move forward with development policy and strategy. Diaspora interventions tend to be organic in nature and outside the confines of the typical government and institutional structures. The Migration Policy Institute has released an edited volume, How Can Talent Abroad Induce Development at Home? Towards a Pragmatic Diaspora Agenda, which includes commentary from leading experts in the field. During this book launch discussion at MPI, volume editor Yevgeny Kuznetsov, a World Bank senior consultant and MPI nonresident fellow, discusses findings with Kathleen Newland, Director of MPI’s Migrants, Migration, and Development program; and Lev Freinkman, author of research in the volume and former World Bank senior economist. The discussion offers new insight into how governments and international organizations can effectively implement diaspora engagement strategies that utilize institutions, the private sector, and individuals to their full potential.

A House Divided: Divergent Views in Congress Over Immigration Reform

Senate passage of comprehensive immigration reform legislation in June 2013 stands as a major accomplishment on the road to restructuring the U.S. immigration system. At this mid-point in the legislative debate, House committees have passed five separate bills, but are still grappling with key elements of the Senate plan, especially legalization for the nation’s estimated 11 million unauthorized immigrants. The big question surrounding the debate remains whether compromises that reconcile the approaches by both chambers can be found to produce legislation that improves the U.S. immigration system. This online discussion with Migration Policy Institute policy experts Doris Meissner and Muzaffar Chishti was held shortly after MPI released an analysis comparing the major provisions of the Senate bill against those of the individual House bills considered to date in House committees. The discussion outlines the differing policies crafted by the House and Senate, their likely implications for the U.S. immigration system, and offers a look ahead to where the debate might be headed when Congress returns from its summer recess.

A Year In: A Review of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA)

August 15, 2013 marked the one-year anniversary of the implementation of the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which offers a two-year reprieve from deportation as well as work authorization for eligible unauthorized immigrants under the age of 31 who entered the United States before the age of 16 and meet a number of education and other requirements. During this online chat, Migration Policy Institute researchers discuss their findings in a new MPI brief that provides the most up-to-date estimates of the current and prospective DACA population by educational attainment, English proficiency, state of residence, country of origin, age, gender, labor force participation, poverty, and parental status. Researchers Michael Fix, Jeanne Batalova, and Sarah Hooker also answer questions from chat participants.

Stranded Migrants: A New Challenge for the International Community

With global mobility on the rise, the international community is finally grappling with the challenge of stranded migrants, one of the main agenda items for the High-Level Dialogue on Migration and Development in the UN General Assembly in October 2013. In this podcast, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General William Lacy Swing reflects on IOM’s long experience with stranded migrants and the ways in which the organization is preparing proactively to address their needs. He explains IOM’s approaches in the context of the High-Level Dialogue and the opportunity it presents for states to come together to address the new migration challenges of the 21st century. InterAction President and CEO Sam Worthington joins Ambassador Swing to discuss how NGOs work with governments and other organizations to address the needs of the most vulnerable populations and protect them from abuses often suffered by migrants. This event was moderated by Kathleen Newland, who directs MPI’s Migrants, Migration, and Development Program.
For more information, visit http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/migration_development.php.

Leveraging Migration and Human Capital in the U.S., Mexico, and Central America

This joint Migration Policy Institute and Woodrow Wilson Center event at the National Press Club in D.C marks the release of the Regional Migration Study Group’s final report, Thinking Regionally to Compete Globally: Leveraging Migration and Human Capital in the U.S., Mexico, and Central America. Discussants outline the report’s findings and offer recommendations to policymakers in the United States, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. MPI President Demetrios Papademetriou begins with the vision behind the Study Group’s work, followed by a video from Study Group Co-Chair Ernesto Zedillo, the former President of Mexico. Speakers include Study Group Co-Chair Carlos Gutierrez, former US Secretary of Commerce; Doris Meissner, Director of MPI's US Immigration Policy Program; Study Group Co-Chair Eduardo Stein, former Vice President and Foreign Minister of Guatemala; Luis Rubio, Chairman of the Center of Research for Development (CIDAC); James R. Jones, Former US Ambassador to Mexico and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma; and Andrew Selee, Vice President for Programs, Wilson Center.
For more information and to download the report, visit www.MigrationPolicy.org/RegionalStudyGroup.

Sharing Lessons, Sharing Responsibility: Combating Human Trafficking

This Migration Policy Institute event discussed the Dutch model for fighting human trafficking and the strategic and operational dilemmas that public prosecutors in the Netherlands face. The event discussion also covered international efforts to engage private-sector organizations and the public in reducing organized crime; ways to strengthen law enforcement’s operational capacity and ability to apply collaborative and interagency approaches; and strategies for framing the public and political discourse on the issue. Demetrios G. Papademetriou, MPI President, moderates a discussion on the international efforts to engage private-sector organizations, law enforcement, governments, and the public in reducing organized crime to combat human trafficking. Panelists include Corinne Dettmeijer-Vermeulen, National Rapporteur for Human Trafficking in The Netherlands; Jane Nady Sigmon, Senior Advisor to the Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, US Department of State; Herman Bolhaar, Chair of the Dutch Public Prosecution Service; Jack Blakey, Chief of the Special Prosecutions Bureau, Cook County, Illinois State Attorney’s Office; and Ruud Bik, Deputy Chief, National Police of the Netherlands.

Changing Dynamics: Immigration, Mexico, and the United States

The Migration Policy Institute hosts a discussion with H.E. Eduardo Medina Mora, Mexico’s Ambassador to the United States, on the changing dynamics of Mexico’s economy, demographics, and large-scale emigration, and their implications for both Mexico and the United States. MPI President Demetrios Papademetriou moderates the discussion, joined by Senior Fellow Doris Meissner, who directs MPI’s U.S. immigration policy program.

Discussion on Ways to Make the U.S. Immigration System Better Meet U.S. Labor Market Needs

This Migration Policy Institute event marks the release of the book Immigrants in a Changing Labor Market with a discussion on how to make the U.S. immigration system more effective in meeting labor market needs. The discussion features Jason Furman, Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Principal Deputy Director of the National Economic Council; Georgetown Professor Harry Holzer, who was chief economist at the U.S. Labor Department; and the book’s editors, MPI Senior Vice President Michael Fix, President Demetrios Papademetriou, and Senior Policy Analyst Madeleine Sumption. The panelists discuss immigration at high-, middle-, and low-skill levels, current and proposed policy, how to measure labor shortages, and the flexibility that should be built into the U.S. immigration system.
For more on MPI’s Labor Markets Initiative, visit, www.migrationpolicy.org/lmi
Purchase a copy of the book at http://www.migrationpolicy.org/bookstore/labormarkets.php

Avoiding Pitfalls on the Road to Immigration Reform: Building an Effective US Immigration System

In this Migration Policy Institute event, immigration experts with decades of policy experience in and out of government examine issues at the heart of immigration reform, including: How would the registration process of a legalization program for unauthorized immigrants best be designed and implemented? How should future flows for needed workers be determined? And what will be the effects of barring access to services for the newly legalized? MPI President Demetrios G. Papademetriou discusses lessons from IRCA, economic issues, and mechanisms to allow for future immigration flows; Muzaffar Chishti, Director, MPI Office at NYU School of Law, discusses labor concerns and provides a conclusion on political realities; Michael Fix, Senior Vice President and Director of Studies and Co-Director, National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, addresses impacts on immigrant integration, including impacts on healthcare costs; and Doris Meissner, Director of MPI’s US Immigration Policy Program, provides an overview on issues associated with a legalization program.
Visit www.migrationpolicy.org/CIR for research on US immigration policy.

Children of Immigrants: Moving Forward on Policies Affecting Young Children of Immigrants (S4)

Michael Fix and Margie McHugh, Co-Directors of the Migration Policy Institute’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, conclude a day-long MPI conference on the children of immigrants in the United States with the key facts from the research papers and policy responses. Read the agenda and topics here.