How Immigration Policy Affects New Yorkers, and What Comes Next

Professor Robert C. Smith of the CUNY Graduate Center and Baruch College and Manuel Castro, the former New York City commissioner of immigrant affairs and a Baruch graduate, join The Thought Project for a timely conversation about immigration policy at a moment of deep uncertainty. Smith draws on decades of research on Mexican migration, legal status, and intergenerational mobility, as well as his legal advocacy on DACA and birthright citizenship, to explain how current policy choices are reshaping the lives of immigrant families. Castro brings the perspective of a former undocumented immigrant, longtime advocate, and city official who has worked at the center of New York’s response to immigrant communities. Together, he and Smith argue that today’s crisis did not emerge overnight: Comprehensive immigration reform has remained out of reach for years, leaving millions vulnerable to shifting enforcement priorities and legal uncertainty. They discuss asylum, mixed-status families, the limits of local protections, and why expanding access to citizenship and legal status remains essential. The episode connects scholarship, public service, and lived experience in a clear call for reform grounded in both policy and human consequences.