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E.g., 04/16/2024
United States

United States

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Historically a nation of immigrants, the United States is home to nearly 45 million immigrants, who represent 13.7 percent of the total population and play a key role in the economic, civic, and cultural life of the country. The research collected here covers many facets of immigration to the United States, by the numbers and how immigrants fare in the country's classrooms and workplaces, the policies and regulations that shape the admission of new immigrants, the enforcement programs and polices in place at U.S. borders and within the interior, and integration policies and efforts taking place in local communities, in states, and at the federal level.

A naturalization ceremony at the White House.
Articles

Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States

Immigration touches on many facets of life in the United States. Get the facts with this useful resource, which compiles in one place answers to some of the most often-asked questions about immigration and immigrants in the United States now and historically. This article contains essential data on the immigrant population, immigration levels, trends in immigration enforcement, and much more.

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Policy Briefs

A New Way Forward for Employment-Based Immigration: The Bridge Visa

U.S. employment-based visa policies, last updated in 1990, are not aligned with the country’s current and future labor market needs. This policy brief outlines MPI’s proposal for a new visa pathway that could help the United States better leverage immigration to meet its labor market needs, boost protections for both U.S.- and foreign-born workers, and flexibly adapt to future economic and demographic changes.

Inadmissible migrants, some seeking asylum, are processed by CBP officers
Reports

Outmatched: The U.S. Asylum System Faces Record Demands

The U.S. humanitarian protection system, known for its long history of assisting those in need, has come under incredible pressure in recent years. The asylum adjudications system, which is under-resourced, is struggling to keep up with record asylum seeker arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border. This report examines the state of the asylum system, including changes under the Biden administration and potential lessons for other countries.

President Joe Biden signs an executive order.
Articles

Biden at the Three-Year Mark: The Most Active Immigration Presidency Yet Is Mired in Border Crisis Narrative

In three years, President Joe Biden has surpassed the number of immigration-focused executive actions taken by the Trump administration throughout its entire four-year term, making his the most active U.S. presidency ever on immigration. Yet the Biden administration has been repeatedly accused of inaction at the U.S.-Mexico border, where record levels of migrant encounters have occurred. This article reviews the Biden track record on immigration.

Recent Activity

Articles
July 3, 2013
Now that the Senate Has Passed Landmark Immigration Legislation, All Eyes Are on the House
By Muzaffar Chishti, Faye Hipsman
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Reports
July 2013
Migración Mexicana a los EE.UU.: Factores Económicos Subyacentes y Posibles Escenarios de Flujos Futuros
By  Daniel Chiquiar and Alejandrina Salcedo
COIhealth THUMB
Reports
July 2013
Is the United States Bad for Children’s Health? Risk and Resilience among Young Children of Immigrants
By  Jennifer Van Hook, Nancy Landale and Marianne Hillemeier
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Reports
July 2013
Preparing the Children of Immigrants for Early Academic Success
By  Robert Crosnoe
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Reports
July 2013
Skills, Professional Regulation, and International Mobility in the Engineering Workforce
By  Matthew Dixon
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Reports
July 2013
Recognizing Foreign Qualifications: Emerging Global Trends
By  Lesleyanne Hawthorne
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Reports
July 2013
Tackling Brain Waste: Strategies to Improve the Recognition of Immigrants’ Foreign Qualifications
By  Madeleine Sumption
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Books
July 2013
How Can Talent Abroad Induce Development at Home? Towards a Pragmatic Diaspora Agenda

Pages

October 1, 2006
Studying Second-Generation Immigrants: Methodological Challenges and Innovative Solutions

To study the second generation, researchers need both demographic information and information that can only be learned through surveys and interviews. Douglas D. Heckathorn of Cornell University provides an overview of Census Bureau data and a relatively new methodology useful for immigrant research.

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Feature
October 1, 2006
Becoming American/Becoming New Yorkers: The Second Generation in a Majority Minority City

The second generation in New York City largely comes from non-European ethnic origins. Philip Kasinitz, Mary C. Waters, John Mollenkopf, and Jennifer Holdaway look at how growing up in a “majority minority” city has affected their experiences in school and on the job, how they feel about their progress, and where they think they fit within American society.

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Feature
October 1, 2006
The Second Generation from the Last Great Wave of Immigration: Setting the Record Straight
The story of yesterday’s second generation overall is one of progress and advancement. However, exclusively upbeat portrayals fail to capture the complexities of the paths of second-generation Italians and eastern European Jews, explain Nancy Foner and Richard Alba.
Policy Beat
September 1, 2006
Fall Forecast: Immigration Reform Unlikely, Census Bureau Issues New Data on the U.S. Foreign-Born Population

MPI's Julia Gelatt reports on Congressional action on immigration reform, the costs of the Senate-passed reform bill, new Census data on the U.S. foreign-born population, proposals for greater scrutiny of immigration judges' performance, changes in immigration policy for Cubans, and more.

Spotlight
September 1, 2006
Spotlight on Naturalization Trends in 2005

Over 604,000 immigrants received U.S. citizenship in 2005. MPI's Jeanne Batalova takes a detailed look at the latest naturalization trends in the United States.

Pages

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Recent Activity

Articles
July 3, 2013

Now that the Senate Has Passed Landmark Immigration Legislation, All Eyes Are on the House

On June 27, the U.S. Senate passed legislation to overhaul the U.S. immigration system on a scale not seen in decades. Despite this major breakthrough, it is clear that immigration reform faces an uphill battle in the House of Representatives, where the dynamics are much different than in the Senate. This article assesses the prospects for immigration reform in the House, explores provisions of the Senate bill, the implications for U.S. immigration policy of the Supreme Court's recent ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act, and more.

Books
July, 2013

How Can Talent Abroad Induce Development at Home? Towards a Pragmatic Diaspora Agenda

This edited volume develops a pragmatic approach to the engagement of highly skilled members of the diaspora for the benefit of their countries of origin. The book, edited by a World Bank senior economist, is based on empirical work in middle-income and high-income economies.

Reports
July 2013

Tackling Brain Waste: Strategies to Improve the Recognition of Immigrants’ Foreign Qualifications

Immigrant-receiving countries have introduced a range of policies to improve the recognition of foreign qualifications. This report explores strategies for ensuring that qualified immigrants can contribute their training and talent to the labor force.
Reports
July 2013

Recognizing Foreign Qualifications: Emerging Global Trends

This report provides an overview of the global trends in the recognition of foreign credentials, and describes new and flexible ways that governments can recognize the qualifications of immigrants.

Reports
July 2013

Is the United States Bad for Children’s Health? Risk and Resilience among Young Children of Immigrants

This report summarizes new data on the health of the children of immigrants, who represent nearly one-fourth of all children in the United States under the age of 18, finding that those with Mexican immigrant parents in particular tend to experience greater childhood health risks than most of their peers.

Reports
July 2013

Skills, Professional Regulation, and International Mobility in the Engineering Workforce

This report explains the basic structure of the engineering workforce, and the elements that influence the ability of engineers to move across borders. It examines recent efforts to address national differences in education and accreditation, and also considers how serious the barriers to international migration for engineers are in practice.

Reports
July 2013

Preparing the Children of Immigrants for Early Academic Success

This report examines three types of educational and health policy interventions that may reduce disparities between the children of U.S.-born parents and their immigrant counterparts during the crucial transition between prekindergarten and elementary school.

Reports
July 2013

Migración Mexicana a los EE.UU.: Factores Económicos Subyacentes y Posibles Escenarios de Flujos Futuros

Este reporte analiza algunos de los factores económicos que han influido sobre los flujos migratorios de México a los Estados Unidos, con el fin de construir escenarios sobre cómo dichos flujos podrían evolucionar en el futuro cercano. El análisis examina tres diferentes periodos en la historia reciente de la migración de México a los Estados Unidos.

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