Course Details

Immigration Law

This course surveys immigration and citizenship law in the United States. The core issues at stake in this course-the boundaries of political membership and the systems for managing migrant populations-play a significant role in many areas of the law and present fundamental challenges to the United States in the twenty-first century. We will examine the entry, presence, expulsion, and naturalization of noncitizens, as well as the content and significance of U.S. citizenship and nationality, from a variety of perspectives: historical and contemporary; procedural and substantive; constitutional, statutory, and regulatory. Specific topics will include the plenary power over immigration; the interaction between immigration and federalism; the constitutional rights of noncitizens; the criteria for the admission of noncitizens on a temporary or permanent basis; the grounds for exclusion and deportation; the rules governing adjustment of status; and the ongoing political debates surrounding immigration reform. Throughout the course, we will consider the major theoretical questions underlying immigration law: What are the different ways of defining citizenship? What defines membership in a political community? How should the rights of citizens and non-citizens differ, if at all? Should our conceptions of citizenship and membership change in an age of substantial migration and globalization? When is it appropriate to force non-citizens to leave the United States? Are there any moral constraints on the state's interest in controlling its borders? How does immigration law intersect with the United States's role/power in the world?

Catalog Number: CONPUB 660
Practice Areas: Constitutional Law & Procedure ,  Labor and Employment Area
Additional Course Information: International Law Conc, Open to First Year Students

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Course History

Spring 2024
Title: Immigration Law
Faculty: Vannucci, Kathleen
Section: 1     Credits: 3.0
Capacity: 70     Actual: 38

Spring 2023
Title: Immigration Law
Faculty: Albiol, Sioban
Section: 1     Credits: 3.0
Capacity: 70     Actual: 13