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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.

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Reports

How Immigrants and Their U.S.-Born Children Fit into the Future U.S. Labor Market

The level of education and training expected of workers in the United States has increased considerably in recent decades, and this trend looks set to continue. This report explores the forces driving this change and how the education levels of immigrant-origin and other workers compare to those likely to be needed in the future U.S. workforce, overall and in key occupational groups.

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.

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

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Articles
May 6, 2010
Chinese Immigrants in the United States
By Aaron Terrazas, Jeanne Batalova
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Reports
May 2010
Immigrant Integration: Priorities for the Next Decade (Transatlantic Council Statement)
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou and Annette Heuser
Articles
April 29, 2010
Arrested on Entry: Operation Streamline and the Prosecution of Immigration Crimes
By Donald Kerwin, Kristen McCabe
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Multimedia
April 22, 2010
Securing Human Mobility in the Age of Risk: New Challenges for Travel, Migration, and Borders
Articles
April 15, 2010
Supreme Court Rules that Attorneys Must Inform Criminal Defendants of the Immigration Consequences of Pleading Guilty
By Muzaffar Chishti, Claire Bergeron
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Multimedia
April 12, 2010
Immigrant Legalization: Assessing Labor Market Effects
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Articles
April 7, 2010
Filipino Immigrants in the United States
By Aaron Terrazas, Jeanne Batalova
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Books
April 2010
Securing Human Mobility in the Age of Risk: New Challenges for Travel, Migration, and Borders
By  Susan Ginsburg

Pages

Spotlight
May 22, 2002
Immigrant Women in the United States in 2000

Since the early 1990s, there have been more female than male immigrants to the United States. This Spotlight by Elizabeth Grieco, MPI Data Manager, examines some of the characteristics of this important group of immigrants.

Feature
May 22, 2002
Competing Futures: The Children of America's Newest Immigrants

Diverse origins. Diverse opportunities. Rubén G. Rumbaut, Professor of Sociology and co-director of the Center for Research on Immigration, Population, and Public Policy at the University of California Irvine, takes a closer look at the trajectories and adaptation of first and second-generation youth in the United States. Over a decade of longitudinal data provide early clues to the cohesive and the centrifugal forces shaping America's immigrant future. Will the achievements that characterize today's immigrant youth follow them through to adulthood?

Policy Beat
May 22, 2002
Gov't Mulls Revamping INS, Shortening Visas
INS Reorganization Near Certain... Shorter Visa Duration Anticipated... TPS Extended... Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act Becomes Law...
Feature
May 22, 2002
New Estimates of the Undocumented Population in the United States
About 8.5 million undocumented immigrants live in the United States according to new estimates. Jeffrey Passel, Principal Research Associate at the Urban Institute, provides new insight into the numbers and the methodology.

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Recent Activity

Articles
May 6, 2010

Chinese Immigrants in the United States

The 1.6 million Chinese immigrants in the United States made them the country's fourth-largest immigrant group in 2008. MPI's Aaron Terrazas and Jeanne Batalova use the latest federal data to explore the population's size, geographic distribution, and socioeconomic characteristics.

Reports
May 2010

Immigrant Integration: Priorities for the Next Decade (Transatlantic Council Statement)

This statement from the fourth plenary meeting of the Transatlantic Council on Migration focuses on immigrant integration and how to shift focus back onto integration as a continuous and interactive process, even amidst the tumult of a persistent economic crisis.

Articles
April 29, 2010

Arrested on Entry: Operation Streamline and the Prosecution of Immigration Crimes

Those caught trying to enter the United States illegally in portions of five Southwest border sectors face criminal prosecution under Operation Streamline, which the Department of Homeland Security launched in 2005. MPI's Donald Kerwin and Kristen McCabe examine how Operation Streamline works, highlight trends in the prosecution of immigration offenses, and evaluate the program's outcomes.

Video, Audio
April 22, 2010

Securing Human Mobility in the Age of Risk: New Challenges for Travel, Migration, and Borders

'Securing Human Mobility' book release discussion with Susan Ginsburg, Michael German, Luis Rubio, and Donald M. Kerwin.

Articles
April 15, 2010

Supreme Court Rules that Attorneys Must Inform Criminal Defendants of the Immigration Consequences of Pleading Guilty

MPI's Muzaffar Chishti and Claire Bergeron report on Padilla v. Kentucky, Arizona's passage of a controversial immigration bill, Senators Charles Schumer and Lindsey Graham's immigration reform blueprint, the latest H-1B application numbers, and more

Video, Audio
April 12, 2010

Immigrant Legalization: Assessing Labor Market Effects

Public Policy Institute of California researchers Magnus Lofstrom and Laura Hill discuss their research examining the potential labor market outcomes and other possible economic effects of a legalization program.

Articles
April 7, 2010

Filipino Immigrants in the United States

The 1.7 million Filipino immigrants in the United States made them the countrys second-largest immigrant group in 2008. MPIs Aaron Terrazas and Jeanne Batalova use the latest federal data to explore the population's size, geographic distribution, and socioeconomic characteristics.

Books
April, 2010

Securing Human Mobility in the Age of Risk: New Challenges for Travel, Migration, and Borders

This volume, by a former senior counsel to the 9/11 Commission, argues that the U.S. approach to immigration and border security is off-kilter and not keeping pace with the scope and complexity of people’s movement around the world, nor with expectations regarding freedom of movement.

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