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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.

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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

Multimedia
June 8, 2020
Beyond the Border: U.S.-Mexican Migration Accord Has Ushered in Sweeping Change in Mexico in Its First Year
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Policy Briefs
June 2020
Un año después del Acuerdo Estados Unidos-México: La transformación de las políticas migratorias mexicanas
By  Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
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Policy Briefs
June 2020
One Year after the U.S.-Mexico Agreement: Reshaping Mexico’s Migration Policies
By  Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
COVID-19 and Unemployment: Assessing the Early Fallout for Immigrants and Other U.S. Workers
Fact Sheets
June 2020
COVID-19 and Unemployment: Assessing the Early Fallout for Immigrants and Other U.S. Workers
By  Randy Capps, Jeanne Batalova and Julia Gelatt
President Trump signs an immigration proclamation at the White House
Articles
May 29, 2020
The U.S. Stands Alone in Explicitly Basing Coronavirus-Linked Immigration Restrictions on Economic Grounds
By Muzaffar Chishti and Sarah Pierce
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Articles
May 14, 2020
Immigrant Health-Care Workers in the United States
By Jeanne Batalova
Commentaries
May 2020
The Rocky Road to a Mobile World after COVID-19
By  Meghan Benton
Fact Sheets
May 2020
Barriers to COVID-19 Testing and Treatment: Immigrants without Health Coverage in the United States
By  Randy Capps and Julia Gelatt

Pages

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Reports
July 2012
Contested Ground: Immigration in the United States
By  Michael Jones-Correa
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Books
June 2012
Developing a Road Map for Engaging Diasporas in Development: A Handbook for Policymakers and Practitioners in Home and Host Countries
By  Dovelyn Rannveig Mendoza and Kathleen Newland
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Reports
May 2012
Profile of Immigrants in Napa County
By  Randy Capps, Kristen McCabe and Michael Fix
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Reports
May 2012
The Relationship Between Immigration and Nativism in Europe and North America
By  Cas Mudde
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Reports
April 2012
Changing Demography and Circumstances for Young Black Children in African and Caribbean Immigrant Families
By  Donald J. Hernandez
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Reports
April 2012
A Demographic Profile of Black Caribbean Immigrants in the United States
By  Kevin J. A. Thomas
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Books
April 2012
Hoja de ruta para la participación de las diásporas en el desarrollo: Un manual para políticos y profesionales de los países de origen y de acogida
By  Dovelyn Rannveig Mendoza and Kathleen Newland
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Reports
April 2012
Diverse Streams: African Migration to the United States
By  Randy Capps, Kristen McCabe and Michael Fix

Pages

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Profile
July 6, 2017
Cuban Migration: A Postrevolution Exodus Ebbs and Flows

The Cuban Revolution unleashed a massive exodus from the island. Cuba is now among the top origin countries of immigrants in the United States—where for decades they have received preferential treatment—with smaller numbers across Europe and Latin America. This article explores the evolution of Cuban migration, particularly within the context of the Cold War and shifting U.S. policies toward the country.

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Spotlight
June 28, 2017
Immigrant Health-Care Workers in the United States

Approximately 2.1 million immigrants work in health-care occupations in the United States, comprising nearly 17 percent of the 12.4 million doctors, nurses, dentists, and other health-care professionals. Learn more about immigrant health-care workers in the United States with this data-rich article, including top occupations nationally and by state, countries of origin, educational levels, visa pathways, and much more.

Agricultural workers break for lunch on a cucumber farm in Virginia.
Policy Beat
June 20, 2017
Despite Political Resistance, Use of Temporary Worker Visas Rises as U.S. Labor Market Tightens

Although President Trump has repeatedly pledged to preserve "U.S. jobs for U.S. workers," employers are increasingly relying on temporary visas as a result of labor shortages in agriculture, high tech, and beyond. This article examines the increases occurring in key temporary worker programs, affecting seasonal agricultural and nonagricultural industries, as well as high-skilled tech jobs.

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Spotlight
June 7, 2017
Refugees and Asylees in the United States

The United States has historically led the world on refugee resettlement, and today remains the top country, having resettled approximately 85,000 refugees in fiscal 2016. It also granted asylum status to more than 26,000 individuals in FY 2015. This article examines characteristics of U.S. refugee and asylee populations, including top countries of origin, states of resettlement, age and gender, and more.

Protesters demonstrate against immigration proposals outside the Texas State Capitol.
Policy Beat
May 25, 2017
Texas Leads Resurgence in Restrictive State Actions on Immigration Enforcement

A new hardline immigration law in Texas marks the resurgence of state-level restrictionist activism that had stalled in 2012 amid adverse federal court rulings. The Texas law, SB 4, is designed to end sanctuary policies in jurisdictions across the state, and closely mirrors aspects of Arizona's controversial 2010 law, SB 1070. This article explores the parallels and new state momentum to crack down on illegal immigration.

Pages

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Video, Audio
May 23, 2012

The Role of National Governments in Promoting Immigrant Integration

A discussion with Rosario Farmhouse, Alejandro Mayorkas, Jasenko Selimovic, Peter Sylvester, and Demetrios G. Papademetriou, MPI President.

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Audio
May 8, 2012

Federal Update: A Conversation on Language Access with the U.S. Department of Justice

This MPI webinar features U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) officials discussing the department’s efforts to improve communications with Limited English Proficient (LEP) communities in federal and federally-funded programs and activities.

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Video, Audio
April 19, 2012

MPI's 10th Anniversary Celebration

The Migration Policy Institute celebrated its first decade as the authoritative, unimpeachable resource on immigration and immigrant integration analysis and policy design in the United States and internationally.

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Video
February 7, 2012

Doris Meissner discusses U.S. Immigration Policy at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

MPI Senior Fellow Doris Meissner discusses U.S. immigration policy during the Fireside Forum on Foreign Policy at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The other participants are Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera and Douglas Savage, Assistant Director of the Institute of World Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
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Video, Audio
December 7, 2011

Up for Grabs: The Gains and Prospects of First- and Second-Generation Young Adults

A discussion on the gains that young adult immigrants or the U.S.-born children of immigrants have made in education and employment, with speakers: Michael Fix, Jeanne Batalova, Andrew P. Kelly, Raul Gonzalez, and Margie McHugh.

Pages

Recent Activity

Articles
September 15, 2014

Canadian Immigrants in the United States

Between 1960 and 2012 the share of Canadians in the U.S. foreign-born population declined from 10 to 2 percent, while the actual number of Canadian immigrants has remained remarkably steady. Using the most up-to-date statistics, this profile examines the Canadian immigrant population by size, age, location, college education, and more.

Articles
September 10, 2014

Central American Migrants and “La Bestia”: The Route, Dangers, and Government Responses

Central American migrants have long hopped freight trains known as "La Bestia," or the beast, to get through Mexico en route to the United States. While Mexico has been accused of turning a blind eye to this traffic, U.S. outcry over the surge of unaccompanied child migrants has drawn new attention to the use of the trains. This article highlights the journey aboard the trains, the dangers faced by migrants, and responses by the Mexican government and others.

Commentaries
September 2014

County-Level View of DACA Population Finds Surprising Amount of Ethnic & Enrollment Diversity

County- and state-level data examining the populations potentially eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program show an interesting level of ethnic and enrollment diversity that is obscured when examining national-level findings. This commentary examines a few of the findings learned from the new MPI profiles of DACA populations in 36 counties, which are accessible via an online data tool.
Reports
September 2014

Immigrant Civic Integration and Service Access Initiatives: City-Sized Solutions for City-Sized Needs

Large immigration flows challenge destination cities to find innovative ways to meet the needs of immigrant residents and promote their integration. This report examines the successful integration strategies of five U.S. cities—Cupertino and San Francisco, CA; Littleton, CO; New York City; and Seattle—and offers lessons for local governments looking to implement their own initiatives.
Reports
September 2014

Residential Segregation: A Transatlantic Analysis

Where does residential segregation come from, and why does it vary significantly across minority groups and country contexts? This report explores these questions and examines the policy tools that lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic have used to address the segregation of immigrant groups.
Audio, Webinars
September 4, 2014

Extending New Relief to Unauthorized Immigrants: Estimating the Impacts of Possible Executive Actions

Estimates of unauthorized immigrant populations that could receive relief from deportation under potential executive action scenarios to expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, extend deferred action to other populations, or refine immigration enforcement priorities are discussed during this webinar.

Policy Briefs
September 2014

Executive Action for Unauthorized Immigrants: Estimates of the Populations that Could Receive Relief

In the absence of legislative movement to reform the U.S. immigration system, the Obama administration is considering executive action to provide relief from deportation to some of the nation's estimated 11.7 million unauthorized immigrants. This issue brief examines a number of scenarios for possible executive action, estimating how many people could benefit.
Articles
August 25, 2014

Vietnamese Immigrants in the United States

The once-tiny population of Vietnamese immigrants in the United States has grown to become the country’s sixth largest foreign-born group in the span of several decades, with the first wave beginning at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. This data profile examines the Vietnamese immigrant population by size, recency of arrival, top states and cities of settlement, college education, sending of remittances, and much more.

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