The Center for Migration Studies of New York

CMS conducts advocacy by publishing journals and essays, holding conferences, sponsoring conferences and symposiums, conducting research, providing support to religious-left institutions, and maintaining a thorough archive with collections covering the history of immigration in the United States.

Activities

CMS has routinely contributed research to the United Nations on topics of immigration, human trafficking, and other forms of voluntary and involuntary international migration. ^{2 3}

The center also publishes articles internally and with outside platforms providing an analysis of new political initiatives, and current or pending legislation that would impact immigrants or immigration policy. When the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear a case challenging the Trump administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program (an Obama administration policy that unilaterally granted legal status to certain classes of illegal immigrants), CMS’ program director Daniela Alulema published an article in the Journal on Migration and Human Security defending the program and the possible results stemming from either possible decision on the Supreme Court. ⁴

Refugee Protection System Initiative

The US and Global Refugee Protection System Initiative analyzes global refugee crises, why they develop, and how they can be mitigated. In 2015, CMS published an article on the immigration crises on the 35^th anniversary of the Refugee Act of 1980. The document covered settlement logistics, violence-based reasons for fleeing a region, barriers asylum-seekers face when coming to the United States, and suggestions on how to efficiently process immigrants with respect to U.S. law. ⁵

Catholic Institutions and Immigrant Integration

The US Catholic Institutions and Immigrant Integration identifies how the Catholic Church has interacted with the immigrant community and aims to increase the church’s involvement with advancing the quality of life for immigrants. ⁶

US Immigration Reform Initiative

The US Immigration Reform Initiative is a collection of research documents focusing on immigration that are used to promote liberal expansionist immigration policy. The research specifically evaluates habits of immigration, specific demographics and reasoning for immigration, and how the US may intervene proactively in addressing the conditions from which immigrants flee their original dwelling. ⁶

Democratizing Data Initiative

Democratizing Data Initiative is a database related to immigration demographics that is accessible through interactive methods of research and provides details through articles, graphics, and other illustrations. ⁶

COVID-19 Migration-Related Developments

During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, CMS provided updates to the pandemic and frequent suggestions on how refugees specifically can protect themselves from infection. ⁶

Leadership

Donald M Kerwin Jr. has been the executive director for the Center for Migration Studies of New York since 2011 and has had an extensive career in liberal expansionist immigration advocacy. Prior to his appointment, Kerwin worked as the vice president for programs at the Migration Policy Institute. Before working with MPI, Kerwin was the executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) for 16 years. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. ^{7 8} Kerwin’s salary at CMSNY was $165,552 with an additional compensation of $30,412 as of 2018. ⁹

Robert Warren is a senior visiting fellow with the center. He brings in 34 years of immigration policy experience with the United States Census Bureau and the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Warren is also a contributing author with the left-progressive Christian group Sojourners. He earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in education from Indiana State University. ^{10 11}