9.4

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Obama-era executive order protecting eligible undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children from deportation and granting work permits.

Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965

Ended the national origins quota system and prioritized immigration based on family reunification and skilled labor.

Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986

Law that granted amnesty to certain undocumented immigrants and imposed penalties on employers who hired undocumented workers.

undocumented immigrants

People residing in a country without legal authorization or proper documentation.

border wall

Physical barrier proposed and partially constructed along the U.S.–Mexico border to deter illegal immigration.

Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996

Toughened immigration laws by increasing penalties for undocumented immigrants and expediting deportation processes.

green cards

Legal permanent resident cards granting immigrants the right to live and work permanently in the U.S.

asylum seekers

Individuals fleeing persecution or violence in their home countries who seek protection and legal status in another country.

single-parent families

Families headed by a single adult, increasingly common in recent decades due to divorce, separation, or non-marital births.