Guarding The Gate:A Study On U.S. Immigration Reforms In The Post-9/11 Era(2001-2016)

As the paragon of immigrant country,the U.S.immigrant experience has long been a common thread of its narrative in history.Not only do the arrivals of immigrant flows contribute to the diversified demographic composition of the United States,but also significantly transform the political,economic and cultural landscapes of this nation.Against the backdrop of civil rights movements and the multicultural trend during the 1960 s,the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 came into being.On the heels of this immigration law,America has embraced the newest wave of immigration that primarily consists of people from Latin America and Asia.And their transnational behaviors as well as practices have profoundly changed American identity,which is epoch-making in the U.S.history.Meanwhile,the massive immigration brings in many potential security risks.For instance,the terrorists did plot the 9/11 terrorist attacks by taking advantage of the loopholes in the U.S.immigration regime.Besides,migration has now become more frequent in the presence of the in-depth globalization.As a result,the U.S.immigration reforms as well as policies,in a way,act as the crucial valve that guards its civil society.In response to the threats of "the other" and the mounting calls for immigration reform,the federal government has started confronting the deficiencies of its immigration system head-on.The thesis probes into the immigration reforms promoted by the U.S.government in the post-9/11 era.And it is mainly separated into three parts,that is,Introduction,the main body and Conclusion.The Introduction focuses on the brief experience of U.S.immigration reforms and their problems,and then summarizes the literature review on American immigration.Chapter One intends to review the new wave of American immigration since the 1960 s by combining multicultural perspective with transnationalism in the field of migrant practice.Chapter Two employs the 9/11 terrorist attacks as the entry point to the discussion over the immigration reforms during the Bush and Obama administrations.Due to the fact that a wide range of aspects both at home and abroad are involved in the adjustment of immigration policies,Chapter Three substantially figures out the possible factors that matter in dimensions like domestic politics,economy,culture,and even the threats of terrorism and European immigration crisis from the international front.In Chapter Four,three aspects are covered in revealing the challenges and dilemma of future immigration reform,including the conflicts between White House and Congress,the trend of anti-establishment among civil society and the controversial immigration executive orders issued by the Trump administration.The ending part is a summary of the whole thesis which also addresses the significance of this research.Throughout the active attempts of immigration reforms by the Bush and Obama administrations,though aimed at different subjects,their efforts could actually be interpreted as the response to the impacts brought by foreign newcomers("the other").And this sentiment is further embodied by the increasing sense of gate-keeping in the U.S.immigration reforms.Furthermore,immigration issues have sparked a heated debate again during the 2016 U.S.presidential campaign.Therefore with the new administration taking office,a breakthrough is certainly expected in future immigration reform.On the basis of the research on the course of immigration reforms in the post-9/11 era,the thesis aspires to reflect on the problems of American immigration system,thus offering insights to the civil society as well as the political culture of the United States.