"The Immigration Act of 1965 was one of the most consequential laws ever passed in the United States and immigration policy continues to be one of the most contentious areas of American politics. As a 'nation of immigrants, ' the United States has a long and complex history of immigration programs and controls which are deeply connected to the shape of American society today. This volume makes sense of the political history and the social impacts of immigration law, showing how legislation has reflected both domestic concerns and wider foreign policy. [The author] examines how immigration law reforms have inspired radically different responses across all levels of government, from cooperation to outright disobedience, and how they continue to fracture broader political debates. [The author] concludes with an overview of how significant, on-going challenges in our interconnected world, including 'failed states' and climate change, will shape American migrations for many decades to come."

This special issue of Studies in Law, Politics, and Society examines how law understands the past. Topics covered include the use of legal language to dehumanize slaves in the eighteenth century, the use of history by lawyers and judges to justify existing law or make changes to the law during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, a study of deportation in the context of the evolution of civil rights and civil liberties in the United States, and a re-examination of the significance of the Supreme Court decision Muller v Oregon in 1908. Through its valuable contribution to our understanding of the relationship between law and history, this special issue is essential reading for legal scholars worldwide.