A Historical Comparison of U.S. Border Politics

For Immediate Release

Back to the Border -- A Historical Comparison of U.S. Border Politics

September 2, 2010

Washington, D.C. - Today, IPC releases the next in its series of perspectives on immigration with Back to the Border: A Historical Comparison of U.S. Border Politics. During the spring and summer of 2010, America's broken immigration system erupted into national news headlines as a result of the passage in Arizona of a sweeping anti-immigrant law (SB 1070), growing concerns over drug-related violence along the U.S.-Mexico border, and calls in some quarters for a repeal of the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of birthright citizenship.

While these events might seem new, the issues involved - unauthorized migration, labor disputes, violence, federalism, and constitutional rights - have played out over and over again, particularly along the border. Back to the Border provides analyses by two historians who situate today's controversies within the context of the broader history of the border region. Understanding history not only allows us to make sense of the complex issues behind the current rhetoric, but also demonstrates why it is necessary to go beyond it and search for lasting solutions.

To read the Perspectives piece, click on the headline above.
Back to the Border: A Historical Comparison of U.S. Border Politics (IPC Perspectives, September 2, 2010)

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For more information contact Wendy Sefsaf at wsefsaf@immcouncil.org or 202-507-7524.