E.g., 04/23/2024
E.g., 04/23/2024
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

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Reports
June 2011
The Role of Immigration in Fostering Competitiveness in the United States
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou and Madeleine Sumption
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Reports
June 2011
Emerging Transatlantic Security Dilemmas in Border Management
By  Elizabeth Collett
Articles
May 24, 2011
Immigrants from Asia in the United States
By Jeanne Batalova
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Multimedia
May 18, 2011
E Pluribus Unum Prizes Panel Discussions and Awards Ceremony
Articles
May 17, 2011
DHS Announces End to Controversial Post-9/11 Immigrant Registration and Tracking Program
By Muzaffar Chishti, Claire Bergeron
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Reports
May 2011
Immigrants in the United States: How Well Are They Integrating into Society?
By  Tomás R. Jiménez
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Reports
May 2011
Evolving Demographic and Human-Capital Trends in Mexico and Central America and Their Implications for Regional Migration
By  Aaron Terrazas, Demetrios G. Papademetriou and Marc R. Rosenblum
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Reports
May 2011
The Faltering U.S. Refugee Protection System: Legal and Policy Responses to Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Others in Need of Protection
By  Donald M. Kerwin

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Policy Beat
October 1, 2003
Visitor Tracking Technology Faces Obstacles
Machine-Readable Passport Requirement Delayed One Year... California Allows Undocumented Immigrants to Obtain Driver's License... US-VISIT Confronts Criticism, Potential Setbacks... Annual Cap for H-1B Visa Holders Slashed... New Citizenship Office Chief Appointed... TPS Extended for Burundians and Sudanese, Terminated for Sierra Leonians...
Spotlight
October 1, 2003
The Foreign Born from Mexico in the United States in 2000

MPI Data Manager Elizabeth Grieco provides an overview of the largest immigrant group in the United States.

Feature
September 1, 2003
Chicago's Immigrants Break Old Patterns

Rob Paral of Roosevelt University's Institute for Metropolitan Affairs examines the key role of recent immigrants in one of the United States' largest cities.

Policy Beat
September 1, 2003
Security Concerns Spur Policy Changes
Visa Waiver Transit Programs Suspended... State Dept. Adds Visa Categories for Border Students... Ridge Names Citizenship and Immigration Ombudsman... State Dept. Requires Online Applications for Visa Lottery... Temporary Protected Status Extended for Liberians...
Policy Beat
August 1, 2003
Government Widens Efforts to Scrutinize Foreign Visitors
State Dept. Tightens Rules on Visa Applicant Interviews... Agreements With Chile, Singapore Open Door to Trade in Services... DHS Fully Implements Foreign Student Tracking System... TPS Extended for Montserratians, Salvadorans, Somalians... DHS Expands Efforts to Deport ‘Predatory’ Criminal Aliens...

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Recent Activity

Articles
September 9, 2021

Afghan Immigrants in the United States

The dramatic evacuation from Afghanistan may bring more than 50,000 new Afghan immigrants to the United States, according to government predictions. These new arrivals would join a small but growing population of Afghans in the United States, most of whom have arrived since 2010. This article provides insights into this immigrant group, many of whom arrived on the Special Immigrant Visa.

Reports
September 2021

Refugee Resettlement and Complementary Pathways: Opportunities for Growth

The number of people who have been forcibly displaced has grown to unprecedented levels. While the global refugee protection regime has come under incredible strain as a result, states have also shown creativity in the design of resettlement programs and complementary pathways. This report takes stock of these programs worldwide, identifies opportunities to scale them up, and assesses barriers that have hindered growth.

Articles
August 26, 2021

Gang Membership in Central America: More Complex than Meets the Eye

Gang violence is a major driver of migration, particularly from Central America to the United States. But governments on both sides often rely on outdated and static understandings of gangs and their membership. This article explains the history of groups such as MS-13 and Barrio 18 and why they are relevant for immigration policy.

Reports
August 2021

From Jailers to Case Managers: Redesigning the U.S. Immigration Detention System to Be Effective and Fair

The U.S. immigration detention system is sprawling, expensive, and has long been criticized for its prisonlike conditions and health risks. The pandemic has brought these risks into even sharper focus. This report examines detention’s role in the U.S. immigration enforcement system and proposes a different approach centered on release with supervision and case management—tools that are less costly, more humane, and ensure compliance with immigration proceedings.

Commentaries
August 2021

The International Community Must Develop a Well-Coordinated Protection Strategy for Afghan Refugees

There is no doubt that many Afghan citizens will need protection in the weeks and months ahead. What remains shrouded in uncertainty, however, is the magnitude of need and where to offer that protection. This commentary discusses how the international community can develop a coordinated strategy to protect those fleeing persecution and support host societies in Afghanistan's immediate neighborhood.

Articles
August 24, 2021

Inmigrantes de la República Dominicana a los Estados Unidos

Los inmigrantes de la República Dominicana son el cuarto grupo de inmigrantes hispanos más grande de los Estados Unidos y suman casi 1.2 millones de personas. Esta población se ha multiplicado casi por diez desde 1960, pero sigue concentrada principalmente en unas pocas áreas metropolitanas. Este artículo proporciona una descripción general de los inmigrantes dominicanos en los Estados Unidos.

Commentaries
August 2021

Biden Administration Asylum Processing Revamp at the U.S. Border Could Be a Game Changer

The Biden administration’s proposed asylum processing rule represents a fundamental retooling of the asylum system that preserves asylum as a bedrock element of the U.S. immigration system while also recognizing that a secure border and deterring unlawful crossings are legitimate and necessary attributes of an effective, credible immigration system, as this commentary explains.

Articles
August 11, 2021

Central American Immigrants in the United States

The number of Central American immigrants in the United States has grown dramatically, amid political corruption, violence, and natural disasters in their native countries. But recent images of Central Americans arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border do not tell the whole story, with more than half the population arriving in 2000 or earlier. This article offers key data on the 3.8 million Central American immigrants in the United States.

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