Ann Chih Lin was quoted in a Detroit News article on the progress and setbacks immigration reform has experienced since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The articled detailed how immigration advocates believed reform was beginning to move forward before the terrorist attacks and recent economic recession dramatically altered how Americans view immigrants. The federal government has failed to approve several attempts at immigration reform in the past ten years, and has instead directed efforts towards border security and deportations.
Several states, including Michigan, are also considering or instituting state-level laws that seek to document and monitor illegal immigrants. "You can overlook a lot of foreigners when the economy is going well. The bad economy stranded them in places that didn't have the infrastructure to help resolve some of these problems," Lin told the Detroit News. Lin also stated that she believes that the country still needs to pass comprehensive immigration reform.