ykey actions relating to immigration restriction and reform

Immigrants also come to the United States for reasons related to social migration, such as to reunite with family members who immigrated previously, to seek a more tolerant society, or to begin a new family married to a US citizen.

In 2017 immigrants accounted for 17.1 percent of the total US workforce, according to the US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Whereas many immigrants to the United States were historically drawn by the country's fertile land and industrial advances, economic migrants of the twenty-first century have sought opportunities in many areas, including computer technology, construction, education, agriculture, manufacturing, and domestic work, including childcare and housekeeping. Others come to the United States for the purposes of economic migration they may be attracted by the country's business-friendly culture or seek to pursue high-paying jobs. Obtaining such recognition, however, requires extensive vetting, and the process can take several years. In such situations, prospective migrants may apply to enter the country as refugees or political asylum grantees. Some migrants come to the United States fleeing religious or political persecution or escaping dangerous circumstances, such as war or criminal violence. People may choose to emigrate, or leave their countries of origin to reside elsewhere, because they face untenable challenges in their home country. The Trump administration's hardline approach to immigration has met with protest from politicians and activists who have accused the administration of violating the US Constitution and international human rights legislation with policies that target people from specific religious backgrounds and separate undocumented immigrants, including children, from their families. Though much of the debate has focused on curbing illegal immigration, efforts within the presidential administration of Donald Trump have also tried to reduce legal immigration and refugee admissions to the United States. The potential benefits of immigration to the immigrant and the host country are compelling, but some people in the United States have expressed concern about the number of people coming to resettle. About half of the refugees who entered the United States in 2016 came from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Myanmar. In the twenty-first century, violence and instability in Afghanistan, Myanmar, South Sudan, Syria, and Venezuela have increased the global refugee population, which refers to displaced people forced to leave the country where they live out of concerns for their freedom and safety. Immigration records since 2000 suggest this trend will continue with the number of Mexican immigrants decreasing while the number of people arriving from India and China continues to grow. In 2013, however, the number of migrants, including temporary visa holders and students, arriving annually from China (147,000) and India (129,000) surpassed the number of people arriving from Mexico (125,000). Mexicans make up the largest segment (12.7 million or 25.4 percent) of all immigrants currently living in the United States. Foreign-born residents, however, account for less than 15 percent of the US population, while more than half of the populations of several Middle Eastern countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain, are foreign-born. In comparison, the three countries with the next highest foreign-born populations, Saudi Arabia, Germany, and the Russian Federation, are home to 12 million migrants each. In 2016 the United States hosted nearly 50 million foreign-born residents, including legal permanent residents (LPRs), undocumented immigrants, and naturalized citizens, according to UN estimates. The United States has been the world's leading destination for immigrants since 1960. In 2017 the United Nations (UN) Department of Economic and Social Affairs reported a worldwide total of 258 million people living in a country other than the one where they originally held citizenship, including people who immigrated in previous years. Tourists, foreign students, and others who visit or reside in a country temporarily are not considered immigrants. In many cases, immigrants go on to become citizens of the receiving nation. Immigration involves moving to a new country with the intention of settling there permanently after leaving one's country of citizenship.

Ykey actions relating to immigration restriction and reform