WASHINGTON (July 12, 2007) — The challenges of legal and illegal immigration remain despite the recent failure of the U.S. Senate to pass legislation. Today more than 12 million people live and work in this country without legal status and unless there are adjustments to our laws, their numbers will grow. "Debating Immigration", a new book edited by Carol M. Swain, presents the perspective of 18 of the nation’s leading experts and scholars on immigration. The book – which looks at immigration from the perspectives of philosophy, religion, law, economics, race, and ethnicity – offers diverse perspectives and solutions to the immigration conundrum and can be purchased on line here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0521698669/centerforimmigra
This panel discussion features three of the contributors to "Debating Immigration". They will identify the critical issues, explore what the next steps in the debate could be, and consider ways that the nation might conduct the kind of productive national debate needed to achieve meaningful changes in the current system.
Panelists:
Carol M. Swain is a widely recognized expert on race, immigration, black leadership, and evangelical politics and the author of award-winning books. She is currently a Professor of Political Science and a Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University. She received a B.A. from Roanoke College and M.A. from Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and in 2000 was awarded a M.L.S from Yale Law School. techniques.
Steven A. Camarota is Director of Research at the Center for Immigration Studies. He holds a master’s degree in political science from the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in public policy analysis from the University of Virginia.
Jonathan Tilove has covered race for Newhouse News Service since 1991. Before that he worked for the Springfield (Mass.) Morning Union, in Springfield and Washington. For the past several years he has written about the impact of immigration and internal migration on American race relations. He is a two-time winner of the National Headliner Award.
Moderator:
Mark Krikorian
Executive Director, Center for Immigration Studies
Sponsors:
The Center for Immigration Studies is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit research organization founded in 1985. It is the nation's only think tank devoted exclusively to research and policy analysis of the economic, social, demographic, fiscal, and other impacts of immigration on the United States.
The Population Resource Center, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. and Princeton, N.J., aims to further the development of public policy by bringing the latest demographic data to policy makers through policy briefings and small-group discussions. The programs help inform the debate and serve as a bridge between the social science community and the world of public policy.