Status Pending

Throughout U.S. and Wisconsin history, the idea of who gets to be a citizen has changed. At times, it’s been broad and welcoming. And other times, it’s been more restricted.  Read the full story at wuwm.com/makingwisconsin.

2025 marked the 50th anniversary of Hmong refugees resettling in the U.S., but what drove many out of Laos? And how have they made a home in Wisconsin, which is home to the third largest Hmong population in the country?  Read the full story at wuwm.com/makingwisconsin.

Throughout our local and national history, there have been waves of sanctuary movements stemming from religious organizations, activists and legislation. Sergio González, Marquette University assistant professor of history and author, explores sanctuary and how it shaped our history and politics today.  Read the full story at wuwm.com/makingwisconsin.

Waves of immigration to Milwaukee have made our home a multicultural and vibrant city. But it hasn't always been a warm welcome. Here's a rundown of immigration to Milwaukee and Wisconsin.  Read the full story at wuwm.com/makingwisconsin.

Over the next four weeks, the Status Pending team is going to share a series we did last spring, called “Making Wisconsin.” It’s about how immigration has shaped our city, state and country. It provides some really helpful context for this moment. Stay tuned as WUWM continues to bring you conversations and stories about immigration.

Faith communities help newly-arrived international teachers and immigrant families find apartments, furnish their homes and navigate the health care system. 

How do you think about the future when you have no clear path to citizenship in the country you call home? Hear from a young undocumented woman who has lived in the U.S. since she was a child.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can reach the National Domestic Violence hotline at 800-799-SAFE. When a crime is committed against someone without legal status in the U.S., it can open a pathway to a green card for the victim. But it comes at the cost of proving your abuse.

Two Nigerian teachers moved to Milwaukee to teach in Milwaukee Public Schools. Now, changes to H-1B visas have forced the district to pause hiring international teachers.

Over the past year, there may be no pathway to U.S. citizenship that has changed more than that of refugees. So, what did it used to mean to be a refugee? And what's changed? 

Gal Dahan has lived in Milwaukee for six years, most of that time as an international student. Now she’s trying to figure out if there’s a path for her to stay.

Meet two sisters, "A" and "S," from Mexico, who have lived in Wisconsin since they were young children. "When DACA came out, it was like this golden ticket," A remembers. DACA allowed them to legally work and drive, but it was temporary — they had to reapply every two years. And in 2024, A and S got married to U.S. citizens, but that didn’t mean they automatically got green cards. What came next w...

There’s a line we hear when people talk about immigration. A phrase that’s repeated over and over: “Do it the right way.”    But what does that mean? And what’s the “right way” in a time like this, when the rules seem to always be changing?     On Status Pending, we’ll break down the different ways people come to this country, the hurdles that have existed for years, and the new ones people are fa...