E.g., 04/24/2024
E.g., 04/24/2024
North America

North America

United States
Canada
Mexico

North America is a dynamic migration region, with the United States home to more immigrants than any other country in the world, the Mexico-U.S. corridor the globe's top migration corridor, and Canada a leading destination for migrants. Research collected here focuses on everything from visa policy and border management to immigrant integration, national identity, the demographics of immigrants in the region and their educational and workforce outcomes, and ways to more effectively use migration policy as a lever for national and regional competitiveness.

Graphic image of man's hand touching screen with word skills
Commentaries

Canada's New Tech Talent Strategy Takes Aim at High-Skilled Immigrants in the United States

Canada’s Tech Talent Strategy is highly unusual for its explicit targeting of visa holders in another country. Opening a dedicated stream specifically for high-skilled immigrants in the United States who hold an H-1B visa is the latest salvo in a growing global competition for talent—one in which some countries are racing ahead of the United States in terms of policy dynamism, as this commentary explores.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other leaders at the 2022 Summit of the Americas
Commentaries

The Los Angeles Declaration Could Represent a Big Step for Real Migration Cooperation across the Americas

The Los Angeles Agreement on Migration and Protection signed by leaders from 20 countries across the Western Hemisphere at the 2022 Summit of the Americas marks a significant step forward in creating a common language and a coherent set of ideas for more cooperatively managing migration movements across a region that has seen very significant mobility in recent years, as this commentary explains.

Recent Activity

Which English Learners Count When? Understanding State EL Subgroup Definitions in ESSA Reporting
Policy Briefs
March 2020
Which English Learners Count When? Understanding State EL Subgroup Definitions in ESSA Reporting
By  Julie Sugarman
Digital fingerprint
Articles
March 11, 2020
As Governments Build Advanced Surveillance Systems to Push Borders Out, Will Travel and Migration Become Unequal for Some Groups?
By Carlyn Greenfield
_DoctorsOfficePublicCharge
Commentaries
March 2020
The Public-Charge Rule: Broad Impacts, But Few Will Be Denied Green Cards Based on Actual Benefits Use
By  Randy Capps, Julia Gelatt and Mark Greenberg
WomanAndChild UNSplash_jhon david
Articles
March 4, 2020
Immigrant Women and Girls in the United States
By Jeanne Batalova
CoronavirusCommentary Art
Commentaries
March 2020
Coronavirus Is Spreading across Borders, But It Is Not a Migration Problem
By  Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan, Meghan Benton and Susan Fratzke
A man says goodbye to his partner through the border fence
Articles
February 27, 2020
Interlocking Set of Trump Administration Policies at the U.S.-Mexico Border Bars Virtually All from Asylum
By Muzaffar Chishti and Jessica Bolter
flickr KOMUnews Columbia School Board to Discuss English Language Learners Program
Multimedia
February 12, 2020
An Uneven Landscape: The Differing State Approaches to English Learner Policies under ESSA
_Flags Chicago Airport
Articles
February 14, 2020
Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States
By Jeanne Batalova, Brittany Blizzard, and Jessica Bolter

Pages

cover_joppke
Reports
February 2012
The Role of the State in Cultural Integration: Trends, Challenges, and Ways Ahead
By  Christian Joppke
cover_multiculturalism
Reports
February 2012
Multiculturalism: Success, Failure, and the Future
By  Will Kymlicka
cover_rethinking_nationalidentity
Reports
February 2012
Rethinking National Identity in the Age of Migration (Transatlantic Council Statement)
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou
cover_restoringtrust
Reports
December 2011
Restoring Trust in the Management of Migration and Borders (Transatlantic Council Statement)
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou
cover_LEP_FactSheet_NoSGL
Fact Sheets
December 2011
Limited English Proficient Individuals in the United States: Number, Share, Growth, and Linguistic Diversity
By  Chhandasi Pandya, Margie McHugh and Jeanne Batalova
cover ImprovingGovernanceBook
Books
November 2011
Improving the Governance of International Migration
cover_upforgrabs
Reports
November 2011
Up for Grabs: The Gains and Prospects of First- and Second-Generation Young Adults
By  Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
Screen Shot 2013 04 03 at 4.35.30 PM
Reports
October 2011
Shared Challenges and Opportunities for EU and U.S. Immigration Policymakers
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou and Madeleine Sumption

Pages

ScienceLab MichaelTipton Flickr
Feature
January 4, 2017
To Stay or Not To Stay: The Calculus for International STEM Students in the United States

More than 1 million international students were in the United States in 2015-16, a significant share of them in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) fields. While countries increasingly are vying for this population, these individuals face a complex choice upon graduation: to stay or leave? This article examines international STEM students in the United States and the motivations underlying their postgraduation plans.

Trump GageSkidmore Flickr
Top Ten
December 19, 2016
As Trump Takes Office, Immigration Enforcement and Policy Poised to Undergo Major Changes

With the incoming Trump administration pledging a crackdown on illegal immigration, construction of border walls, reductions in refugee and immigrant admissions, and greater screening of newcomers, U.S. immigration policy is likely to significant change. With Republicans holding the White House and both chambers of Congress at least through 2018, conditions may be favorable for a major transformation of the U.S. immigration system, as this Top 10 article explores.

MarineLePen BlandineLeCain Flickr
Top Ten
December 13, 2016
As Publics Fear Loss of National Identity, Far-Right Populist Movements Gain Strength

The success of populist movements on both sides of the Atlantic in 2016, including Donald Trump's victory in the United States and the United Kingdom's vote to quit the European Union, have sparked an identity crisis in the West. Campaigns effectively tapped into the anxieties of voters who feel left behind by societal change and out-of-touch elites, while normalizing anti-immigrant rhetoric in mainstream discourse, as this Top 10 article explores.

SyrianRefugees JoshZakary Flickr
Top Ten
December 12, 2016
Crises with Links to Immigration Result in Divergent Policy Responses on Either Side of the Atlantic

While Europe and the United States saw terror attacks in 2016 carried out by radicalized immigrants or members of the second generation, policy responses varied on either side of the Atlantic. The perceived security threat posed by refugees was the main concern in the United States. Meanwhile, European debates centered more on concerns over loss of control of migration flows and lack of social cohesion.

OntheRoad MathiasDepardon UNHCR
Top Ten
December 8, 2016
Migrants and Smugglers Get Creative to Circumvent Immigration Enforcement

Smugglers and migrants adapted their paths in light of changing conditions in 2016, including the construction of walls and closure of borders. Cuban and Haitian migrants increasingly chose to make their way to the United States through South and Central America rather than by sea. Meanwhile, migrant flows to Europe have splintered into a wider range of routes, seeking new openings through the Western Balkans.

Pages

archive >
MI_HEDC_2011EPUP
Video
May 18, 2011

E Pluribus Unum Prizes Panel Discussions and Awards Ceremony

This awards ceremony, honoring the 2011 recipients of the E Pluribus Unum Prizes — a national awards program for exceptional immigrant integration initiatives — featured panel discussions with the awardees and federal officials and remarks by White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Cecilia Muñoz and Assistant Secretary of Education Brenda Dann-Messier.
multimedia 8thLAPC
Video
April 26, 2011

8th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference

The conference offered law and policy analysis and discussion on cutting-edge immigration issues. Featured panelists included high-ranking government officials, academics, advocates, and other immigration experts.
testimony DM Mar2011
Video
March 30, 2011

Doris Meissner Testimony Video: Securing the Border

Doris Meissner, Director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at MPI, offers her knowledge and expertise regarding border security in this testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Audio
March 23, 2011

Discussion on the Situation of Colombian Refugees in Panama and Ecuador

Please join us for this discussion on the situation of Colombian refugees in Panama and Ecuador; their living situations; legal status; their access to employment, health care, or education; and the treatment of groups of particular concern, like Afro-Colombian refugees, unaccompanied Colombian minors, and refugee women.

multimedia ExecAction
Video, Audio
March 14, 2011

Steps to Fix the U.S. Immigration System: What Can the Administration Do?

This discussion focuses on the MPI report, "Executive Action on Immigration: Six Ways to Make the System Work Better," which outlines administrative actions that can be implemented to improve the immigration system.

Pages

Recent Activity

Commentaries
April 2022

Beyond the Border: Opportunities for Managing Regional Migration between Central and North America

With migration from Central America increasing, the region from Canada to Panama faces an opportunity to build an effective regional approach to migration by focusing on several areas that are ripe for significant policy innovation. This commentary sketches a vision, offering a road map to more detailed research that outlines strategies for cooperation on legal pathways, humanitarian protection, migration management, and sustainable development.

Articles
April 6, 2022

Vaccine Requirements Predate the COVID-19 Pandemic by More than a Century

Requirements that international travelers and migrants prove vaccination against certain diseases are about as old as vaccines themselves. In some cases, vaccine certificates predated the existence of government-issued passports. This article explores the history of these requirements, which began with smallpox and have since been applied for diseases including cholera, polio, yellow fever, and, recently, COVID-19.

Commentaries
March 2022

Opportunities Exist to Better Reach Dual Language Learner and Immigrant Families through Home Visiting Programs

Home visiting programs can offer critical integration-related supports, yet many Dual Language Learner (DLL) and immigrant families are known to be underserved. With reauthorization of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Child Home Visiting (MIECHV) program looming, Congress has an important opportunity to support families with young children—many of whom are still struggling with challenges exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Articles
March 31, 2022

Controversial U.S. Title 42 Expulsions Policy Is Coming to an End, Bringing New Border Challenges

The United States’ controversial Title 42 migrant expulsions policy will come to an end in May 2022, after more than 1.7 million expulsions over two years. The COVID-19-era public-health restriction ushered in an unprecedented period of mass expulsions, including of would-be asylum seekers, at the U.S.-Mexico border. Unwinding the policy will be complicated amid predictions of a significant increase in unauthorized migration.

Expert Q&A, Audio
March 29, 2022

Are Climate Migrants Treated Differently than Other Migrants?

Do host communities respond differently to people migrating because of environmental impacts compared to refugees fleeing war or migrants seeking work? Research discussed on this episode of Changing Climate, Changing Migration suggests the answer is yes.

Articles
March 24, 2022

'Migrants’? ‘Refugees’? Terminology Is Contested, Powerful, and Evolving

What’s in a name? Terms used to refer to people crossing international borders are frequently debated and often evolve, amid efforts to shape the narrative and changing political realities. This article explores the history and evolving use of terms such as "migrant," "refugee," "illegal immigrant," "unauthorized immigrant," and more.

Articles
March 17, 2022

Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States

Need information about U.S. immigration trends or the makeup of the country's immigrant population? This useful, stats-rich article answers the most common questions about the size, shape, and changing nature of the U.S. foreign-born population. It also offers data on immigration enforcement actions, backlogs, and other elements of the U.S. immigration system.

Reports
March 2022

Migración de Huehuetenango en el Altiplano Occidental de Guatemala: Respuestas de políticas públicas y desarrollo

Desde principios de la década de 2010, la migración irregular de Guatemala a Estados Unidos ha aumentado drásticamente. Huehuetenango, un departamento en el Altiplano Occidental de Guatemala, se encuentra entre las principales fuentes de esta emigración. Este estudio examina los patrones y factores impulsores de la emigración de Huehuetenango, así como las posibles estrategias para abordar factores de empuje y creación de alternativas a la migración irregular.

Pages