Understanding Immigration Law - 4th Edition - Kevin R. Johnson

Understanding Immigration Law 4th Edition Kevin R. Johnson ISBN 9781531031060

Understanding Immigration Law, Fourth Edition, provides an accessible introduction to the fundamentals of U.S. immigration law for students and newcomers to the field. The book contextualizes immigration law through historical, intellectual, and constitutional lenses, explaining the economic, political, and social forces that have historically shaped migration to the United States. It examines both the “pull” factors, such as employment and family connections, and the “push” factors, including economic hardship, political instability, and other conditions in sending countries.

This edition updates the core principles of immigration law while expanding coverage of crimmigration law—the intersection of criminal law and immigration enforcement—and immigration federalism, which highlights ongoing tensions between federal and state authority in regulating immigration. It also addresses the use of Title 42 public health powers as an example of presidential authority in immigration matters.

Each chapter has been revised to analyze the unprecedented enforcement actions taken during the Trump administration’s second term, including:

• Challenges to birthright citizenship and litigation culminating in the Supreme Court’s 2025 decision in Trump v. Casa, Inc.

• Attempts to remove noncitizens without due process under claims of “invasion” and reliance on the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, along with the Supreme Court’s responses

• Expanded enforcement measures, including warrantless raids, operations at schools, churches, and courthouses, stricter inadmissibility grounds, increased detention, and broad use of expedited removal under the Laken Riley Act of 2025

• The “zero tolerance” policy targeting Central American asylum seekers and the separation of minors from their parents in detention

• The Muslim and African travel bans, including policies upheld by the Supreme Court and newly implemented bans during the second Trump term

• Termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and humanitarian parole for nationals from multiple countries, including El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Haiti

• Attempts to rescind DACA and the litigation that effectively preserved it

• Efforts to penalize sanctuary jurisdictions that limited cooperation with federal immigration enforcement

• Expanded coverage of U.S./Mexico border enforcement, including the Migrant Protection Protocols implemented under both Trump administrations

This edition offers students a clear, up-to-date overview of immigration law while providing critical insight into the legal, political, and policy debates shaping enforcement and rights in the modern U.S. immigration system.

Understanding Immigration Law 4th Edition Kevin R. Johnson ISBN 9781531031060, 978-1531031060 & 9781531031077

Authors
Kevin R. Johnson
Raquel Aldana
Bill Ong Hing
Leticia M. Saucedo
Enid Trucios-Haynes