Most states have now concluded their current legislative sessions, leaving experts analyzing what were the most prominent issues of the first half of 2024. According to a new report, one issue continued to take the center stage across the country— immigration.
The American Immigration Council and Local Initiatives Team tracked over 700 bills in 2024 from across the country, ranging from bills aiming to establish Offices of New Americans in places like Pennsylvania, Vermont and Maine, to bills seeking to expand licensure opportunities for internationally trained dentists in Florida.
In their analysis, the council argues that, while anti-immigration policies are the ones driving discourse and headlines throughout the U.S., numerous bills were also introduced in various states to advance migrants' rights and standards of living.
"States are investing in their future by ensuring their workforce can meet and keep up with growing state economies and labor demands," the study read. "To aid this, states are removing barriers to professional and occupational licensure that prevent migrants from fully utilizing their talent."
Several states are undergoing these trends. For instance, a law in Washington will allow qualified migrants to apply for certain professional and occupational licenses, regardless of their citizenship or immigration status, using their Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, Immigration Impact reports.
Similarly, a measure in Virginia addresses healthcare in underserved communities by allowing the Virginia Board of Medicine to issue a two-year provisional license to a physician licensed in a foreign country, offering a two-year renewal if they practice in a medically underserved area.
Other states have also introduced or passed legislation to establish a statewide Office of New Americans, meaning 20 states now have offices or senior policy officials focused on coordinating and implementing immigration integration initiatives.
Hawaii is one of these states, for example. Its newly-established office will work to ensure equitable access to state government services for immigrant communities, according to Immigration Impact.
Other legislatures decided to take on pro-immigration policies by discussing new ways to welcome immigrants and refugees in their territories.
In California, a bill making its way through the legislature would make sure that state colleges, universities and community colleges do not disqualify students for employment positions due to a lack of federal work authorization. Another bill in Colorado provides grants to community-based organizations to help recently arrived migrants and access and navigate services.
But despite these advances, some proposed— and often passed— bills in around 15 states, the vast majority of which are GOP-led, sought to decrease migration numbers and handled what conservative lawmakers have dubbed the "migrant crisis."
These policies ranged from urging state or federal policymakers to take action related to immigrants coming to the U.S. through the southern border to condemning the federal government for its handling of immigration issues.
Most notably, Texas' controversial SB4, would allow local law enforcement to detain and jail people suspected of entering the United States without authorization. That bill gained much attention from the media and the public alike for its harsh rhetoric, eventually leading it to heated legal issues across courts.
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