Currently, immigration is dominated by the framing of immigrants as illegals, a deliberate attempt to make Americans feel threatened and suppress empathy for what are economic refugees. To implement effective policies, progressives must change the “common sense” that surrounds immigration. The following articles explore the key modes of though behind current thinking and how progressives can win back the argument.

Framing Immigration Reform

To Respect and Protect: Expanding Our Discourse on Immigration Reform is a great starting point that fully covers all sides of the issue.

Blog Articles

Losing Our Minds Over Immigration Reform How the media is manipulated into endorsing the conservative frame (November 30, 2007)

Ending the Amnesty for Abusive Employers Expanding the debate to include the real lives of undocumented workers and their exploitation by American industry (November 25, 2007)

Advocacy and Policy

Illegal Immigration is a Red Herring How right-wing framing has hijacked policy in the United States (April 7, 2008)

Advocacy and Policy

The Framing of Immigration George Lakoff’s comprehensive analysis of conservative and progressive framing of undocumented workers (May 26, 2006)

Crucial Issues Not Addressed in the Immigration Debate George Lakoff’s take on the progressive values left out of the national debate. (May 28, 2006)