Young people in the US under their parents’ H1-B temporary work visas call themselves Documented Dreamers. There are over 250,000 of them, but they feel invisible in the national conversation about immigration.

They are often seen as privileged, as most of their concerns are about higher education.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) main immigration agency. It has a backlog of 5.2 million cases and 8.5 million more pending. In July 2019, the backlog was only 2.7 million.

It takes the USCIS between 97 and 118 days to train a new employee.

In September 2021, the Biden government set new rules for immigration (ICE) officials.

A memo by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said most "undocumented noncitizens ... have been contributing members of our communities for years.

The Trump-era "public charge rule" allowed immigration officials to deny people permanent residency (ie: Green Cards) if it seemed likely they would need public aid, such as Medicaid and food stamps.

Before Trump, only long-term aid counted against green card applicants.

America's history of immigrant entrepreneurs goes all the way back to the Founding Fathers. Alexander Hamilton, designer of the American financial system, was born in the British West Indies.

Some of the country's biggest companies were started by “New Americans” - immigrants or the children of immigrants.

The pandemic has led to unfair policies and the mistreatment of migrants.

In its 3rd year, the pandemic continues to affect immigration, and visa numbers are still below pre-COVID levels.

The number of new visas dropped from 750,434 in October 2019 to 48,376 in April 2020, almost a 94% decrease.

Texas' Pharr Bridge is America's busiest land crossing for Mexican farm-produced goods. It's located in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), an area known for its rich farmland.

Farming in the RGV has been good for the economy and led to innovations, like the world's first mild jalapeño pepper, which helped salsa replace ketchup as the country's #1 condiment.

The Biden government’s Dedicated Dockets program is denying people their day in court.

The program was created in May 2021 to make the asylum process fair, efficient, and fast for people crossing the southwest border. Used in 11 cities, its goal is to complete cases within 300 days instead of 4.5 years.

The Biden government is trying to make big changes to America’s asylum system. The new rules started on May 31, but only at 2 detention centers in Texas. Asylum seekers must also plan to live near 1 of 6 asylum offices: Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Newark, and San Francisco.

Thirteen permanent residents have sued 2 government agencies for delaying their citizenship applications. They all applied for citizenship in 2020 with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and are all still waiting for an interview.