USA case study (bilateral flow between AC’s)
Specification: 3.a. Global migration creates opportunities and challenges which reflect the
unequal power relations between countries.
Introduction:
- 51 million immigrants living in the USA (2024) 13% of the population
- Shared border of Mexico and USA is 2000 miles long
- 9 nationalities have over 1 million inhabitants in the USA (inc. India, Mexico, Cuba,
Vietnam)
- Very influential on global migration – drives change in global patterns
USA migration policy (pre trump 2016):
Annual limit of 675,000 permanent immigrants per year, split into:
1) Family reunification (480k limit, if married/engaged to US
citizen/immediate family or a wider family member e.g., brother or sister)
2) Highly skilled migrants (140k limit – valuable to the economy)
3) Visas to protect refugees (45k)
4) Promote diversity (50k – for countries with low immigration rates to the
US such as African countries)
5) Humanitarian Relief (varies each year, for natural disaster)
Trump, in his 1st term made the following changes/ new policies to immigration:
- Stopped all refugees for 120 days (2016)
- Cited a ‘terrorist risk’ and imposed travel bans on Syria & other Muslim majority
countries
- Cut the refugee quota from 110k to 50k
- RAISE act (Reforming American immigration for a strong economy) seeking to reduce
levels of legal immigration to the US by 50%, capping refugees at 50k and limiting the
number of green cards given and ending the diversity visa lottery
- Trump intended to build a wall along southern border, which Mexico would fund.
1600km long – with 1000km prior fenced
- Ending the temporary residence program, displacing 60,000 Haitians who arrived in
2010 after the Port-Au-Prince earthquake.
As of Feb 2025, Trump in his 2nd term has made the following changes/vows to:
- End all birth right citizenship
- Deploy 5,000 military aircraft at San Diego and El Paso to deport illegal Mexicans
- 4,000 troops currently at the borders
- Revoke the law banning ICE from entering churches, schools, and hospitals
- Halt Asylum seeking process and cancel open applications
- ‘Remain in Mexico’ scheme – asylum seekers waiting for their applications to be
approved must wait in Mexico.
Further impacts of Trump’s policies:
Ciudad Juarez ‘tent city’ along with 8 other temporary border cities have been built to house
the influx of deported people.
Specification: 3.a. Global migration creates opportunities and challenges which reflect the
unequal power relations between countries.
Introduction:
- 51 million immigrants living in the USA (2024) 13% of the population
- Shared border of Mexico and USA is 2000 miles long
- 9 nationalities have over 1 million inhabitants in the USA (inc. India, Mexico, Cuba,
Vietnam)
- Very influential on global migration – drives change in global patterns
USA migration policy (pre trump 2016):
Annual limit of 675,000 permanent immigrants per year, split into:
1) Family reunification (480k limit, if married/engaged to US
citizen/immediate family or a wider family member e.g., brother or sister)
2) Highly skilled migrants (140k limit – valuable to the economy)
3) Visas to protect refugees (45k)
4) Promote diversity (50k – for countries with low immigration rates to the
US such as African countries)
5) Humanitarian Relief (varies each year, for natural disaster)
Trump, in his 1st term made the following changes/ new policies to immigration:
- Stopped all refugees for 120 days (2016)
- Cited a ‘terrorist risk’ and imposed travel bans on Syria & other Muslim majority
countries
- Cut the refugee quota from 110k to 50k
- RAISE act (Reforming American immigration for a strong economy) seeking to reduce
levels of legal immigration to the US by 50%, capping refugees at 50k and limiting the
number of green cards given and ending the diversity visa lottery
- Trump intended to build a wall along southern border, which Mexico would fund.
1600km long – with 1000km prior fenced
- Ending the temporary residence program, displacing 60,000 Haitians who arrived in
2010 after the Port-Au-Prince earthquake.
As of Feb 2025, Trump in his 2nd term has made the following changes/vows to:
- End all birth right citizenship
- Deploy 5,000 military aircraft at San Diego and El Paso to deport illegal Mexicans
- 4,000 troops currently at the borders
- Revoke the law banning ICE from entering churches, schools, and hospitals
- Halt Asylum seeking process and cancel open applications
- ‘Remain in Mexico’ scheme – asylum seekers waiting for their applications to be
approved must wait in Mexico.
Further impacts of Trump’s policies:
Ciudad Juarez ‘tent city’ along with 8 other temporary border cities have been built to house
the influx of deported people.
