Special Presentation #1 (Lunch& Learn) - Immigration: Politics, Public Opinion, Policy, and Policy Enforcement
BILLSpecial Presentation | Registration opens 1/1/2026 12:00 AM
Immigration: Politics, Public Opinion, Policy, and Policy Enforcement
By Michael James, Bucknell University
No other issue is as much of a hot button in the United States today as immigration. Immigration was perhaps the decisive issue in the 2024 election, and Donald Trump’s subsequent actions to change or enforce immigration policy has raised many of the biggest concerns related to the administration. This lecture will endeavor to improve our understanding of immigration in the U.S. today by outlining its role in the 2024 election; articulating its position in public opinion in the U.S. and elsewhere; examining U.S. immigration policy in historical and comparative perspective; and outlining how enforcing immigration policy has emerged as the most controversial and concerning issue in the second Trump administration.
MICHAEL JAMES has taught at Bucknell University since 1999. He is the author of Deliberative Democracy and the Plural Polity, and he has published several articles on the ethics of immigration in various political science and philosophy journals.
BILL Special Presentations are free and open to the public; no membership is required. These programs can provide an introduction to BILL, so please, join us. Special Presentations explore a range of topics with distinguished presenters.
This term, all of the Special Presentations have been scheduled at the Buffalo Valley Lutheran Village Commons, 6 Tressler Blvd., Lewisburg. This Lunch & Learn presentation will begin at noon.
The Ed Cotter Memorial Lecture
In 2023, BILL introduced the Cotter Memorial Lecture to be offered annually among our Special Presentations in honor of Edward “Ed” Cotter. Professor emeritus of geology at Bucknell, Ed was instrumental in forming BILL in 2009 and served as BILL's director for its first six years.
This year's Cotter Memorial Lecture comes from Michael James, professor of political science at Bucknell University. Professor James's lecture covers an important current topic, something Ed Cotter would have been interested in.
Registered attendees may arrive for this special "Cotter Memorial Lecture" as early as 11:00 a.m. to enjoy social time before the program begins.
You are also welcome to eat your lunch at one of the tables set by the Village. If you would like to order your meal from the Village ($14), be sure to register separately for the program, "Special Presentation #1 LUNCH ORDER" no later than noon on Jan. 23, 2026.
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