About this episode

Leslie Heaney discusses the complexities of the U.S. immigration system with attorneys Bo Cooper and Austin Fragomen.

Leslie sits down with two of the country's most respected immigration attorneys — Bo Cooper, former General Counsel of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, and Austin Fragomen, of the global immigration law firm Fragomen — to walk through what the U.S. immigration system actually looks like from the inside. Right now, there are roughly 4 million people waiting in various visa categories for a path to permanent residence in the United States. In this conversation, Leslie, Bo, and Austin break down exactly how that line works: the three legal pathways to permanent residence (family, employment, and humanitarian), why some people wait months while others wait over two decades depending on country of origin and family relationship, how the asylum system was designed in the aftermath of World War II and whether it fits the crises of today, and what is actually happening with deportation, birthright citizenship, and student visas. They also discuss what Congress could do — and why comprehensive reform has remained out of reach for decades. Whether you have been following immigration in the news and want to understand the underlying system, or you are simply curious about…

People in this episode

Host: Leslie Heaney

Guests: Bo Cooper, Austin Fragomen

Topics covered

• U.S. immigration system
• visa categories
• permanent residence
• asylum system
• deportation
• birthright citizenship
• comprehensive reform

Keywords

• immigration
• visa
• green card
• asylum

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, Fragomen

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