Authors: Christabel Okoroafor, Anushka Pandey, Natalie Joseph, Ceren Kale, Akshara
Shukla, Chibudom Ironuru

ABSTRACT

Migration is a fundamental aspect of human history, driven by the search for survival, security, and
opportunity. From the earliest movements out of East Africa to contemporary global flows, migration
patterns have always reflected deeply embedded political, economic, and environmental dynamics. In
the modern era, migration is shaped by “push” factors such as conflict, poverty, and climate change, and
“pull” factors like economic opportunity and safety. However, these movements are not merely personal
choices, they symbolize persistent global inequalities, particularly between the Global North and
South. Statistics reveal that while 37% of migration occurs between Southern nations, corridors such as
Mexico–U.S. and Africa–Europe underscore the influence of geopolitical alliances, policy disparities,
and entrenched systemic inequalities.
The study of U.S. migration policy offers a powerful lens into these broader forces. Recent years have
witnessed profound shifts, especially under the Trump administration, which implemented sweeping
rollbacks on humanitarian protections. Policies like the “Zero-Tolerance” family separation initiative,
the “Remain in Mexico” protocol, travel bans targeting Muslim-majority and African countries, and
narrowing of asylum eligibility marked a stark departure from prior commitments to refugee and asylum
rights. These measures resulted in widespread family separation, increased deportations, and fueled an
atmosphere of fear and exclusion for migrants and asylum seekers.
Moreover, the Trump administration’s approach has had long-term reverberations, weakening
institutional capacity, fueling backlogs, and politicizing immigration agencies. Even as the Biden
administration has attempted to reverse some of these policies, structural barriers and the legacy of
enforcement-first strategies persist, complicating efforts toward humane migration justice and reform.
The implications extend beyond the U.S., altering global attitudes and contributing to a backlash against
multilateral cooperation on migration issues. As migration remains a key site of contestation and
negotiation, achieving genuine change will require not just policy reversal but structural transformation
to address the deep-rooted inequalities, uphold human rights, and rebuild trust in migration governance.