FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York, NY - The Journal on Migration and Human Security (JMHS) from the Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) has published a major new scholarly analysis examining the origins, implementation, consequences, and potential legacy of the second Trump administration's humanitarian assistance, refugee, and immigration policies. The article, "The Origins, Consequences, and Uncertain Legacy of the Trump Administration's Humanitarian, Refugee, and Immigration Policies: A Comprehensive Analysis," is authored by Donald Kerwin, Elizabeth Carlson, and Charles Wheeler.
The paper traces the historical, legal, and political foundations of the administration's policies, examines their effects on refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants, families, communities, and U.S. institutions, and evaluates the legal arguments advanced in their defense. It also analyzes how immigration enforcement authorities have evolved across multiple administrations, laying the groundwork for recent developments.
The authors identify several overarching themes that characterize the Trump administration's approach, including a selective view of the rule of law, the strategic use of cruelty, hostility toward humanitarian and refugee protections, and the failure to pursue immigration policies that advance the nation's values, interests, and long-term needs. The paper concludes with extensive recommendations for rebuilding and strengthening U.S. humanitarian assistance, refugee protection, asylum, and immigration systems.
"The paper is our effort to set the record straight on these deeply interconnected policies at a pivotal moment in the nation's history," said Donald Kerwin, lead author and JMHS editor. "It examines how the United States arrived at this point, assesses the consequences of these policy choices, and explores what the future may hold."
"At a time when immigration policy is reshaping lives and communities, it is essential to understand how we arrived at this moment," said C. Mario Russell, CMS's Executive Director. "By examining the historical roots and far-reaching consequences of these policies, this analysis offers an important roadmap for rebuilding a more effective, humane, and just immigration system."
The article will be included in an upcoming special edition of the Journal on Migration and Human Security examining the wide-ranging impacts of second Trump administration policies on refugees, immigrants, families, U.S. communities, and global systems to protect and assist forced migrants.
For more information, please contact Rachel Reyes, CMS’s Director of Communications, at rreyes@cmsny.org.
About the Journal on Migration and Human Security
The Journal on Migration and Human Security is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal published by the Center for Migration Studies of New York. The journal features original research and analysis on migration, refugee protection, immigrant integration, and related public policy issues from leading scholars and practitioners around the world.
The Center for Migration Studies (CMS) is a New York-based educational institute devoted to the study of international migration, to the promotion of understanding between immigrants and receiving communities, and to public policies that safeguard the dignity and rights of migrants, refugees, and newcomers. For more information, please visit www.cmsny.org.
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