Recognized as the leading anti-immigration group in the United States, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) has received support from numerous celebrities and politicians and claims membership from both conservative and liberal party supporters, whose donations make possible the high visibility FAIR receives through its many advertising campaigns.
A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, FAIR was started by
FAIR’s purpose is not to halt immigration completely, but to reduce its rate to about 30 percent of its current annual levels. It has outlined a number of principles for immigration reform:
•limiting immigration rates
•rejecting amnesty and guest-worker programs
•setting minimum wages for jobs–such as those in agribusiness–that draw undocumented immigrants
•penalizing employers who hire illegal immigrants
•restricting offers of
•increasing border patrols
FAIR’S opposition to certain immigration reform proposals has contributed the defeat of some measures in Congress. A notable example was the so-called
FAIR has also supported other congressional bills that have not been made into law. Its Web site reports regularly on current immigration legislation, including a call by the organization’s president,
FAIR has faced its share of controversies, particularly criticisms that it has used racist and unfair tactics in its ad campaigns. For example, the group’s inflammatory attack on Michigan senator
Tanton himself has been labeled a racist, and FAIR was classified as a hate group by the
FAIR has also come under attack for its receipt of donations from the
Baumgarten, Gerald. Is FAIR Unfair? The Federation of American Immigration Reform (FAIR). New York: Anti-Defamation League, 2000. Fifteen-page report offering an objective analysis of FAIR policies. Available in PDF format on the Anti-Defamation League’s Web site, www.adl.org. Jones, Maldwyn A. American Immigration. 2d ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992. Impartial historical summary of immigration in the United States. Riley, Jason L. Let Them In: The Case for Open Borders. New York: Gotham Books, 2008. Offers rebuttals to anti-immigrationists and argues for a practice of regulating cross-border labor flows rather than stopping them and maintains that the United States has more to gain than to lose from immigrants seeking a better life.
Eugenics movement
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
Language issues
Refugees
Welfare and social services