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E.g., 04/24/2024
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.

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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

A border checkpoint between Canada and the United States.
Articles
April 27, 2023
Roxham Road Meets a Dead End? U.S.-Canada Safe Third Country Agreement Is Revised
By Muzaffar Chishti and Julia Gelatt
Multimedia
April 24, 2023
A Complex Picture: Diversifying Migration Flows & Policies at the U.S.-Mexico Border
Multimedia
April 19, 2023
Career and Technical Education as a Bridge to High School English Learner Success
A Path to Meeting Medical and Mental Health Needs of Unaccompanied Children
Reports
April 2023
A Path to Meeting the Medical and Mental Health Needs of Unaccompanied Children in U.S. Communities
By  Jonathan Beier and Karla Fredricks
Cover image for Unlocking Opportunities report
Reports
April 2023
Unlocking Opportunities: Supporting English Learners’ Equitable Access to Career and Technical Education
By  Julie Sugarman
Multimedia
April 11, 2023
Meeting Global Skills and Talent Needs in Changing Labor Markets
An intern examines a newborn baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Articles
April 7, 2023
Immigrant Health-Care Workers in the United States
By Jeanne Batalova
The U.S. Supreme Court.
Articles
March 30, 2023
Federal Judges Step into the Void to Set U.S. Immigration Policy
By Muzaffar Chishti and Kathleen Bush-Joseph

Pages

Cover image for Investing in Alternatives to Irregular Migration from Central America: Options to Expand U.S. Employment Pathways
Policy Briefs
November 2021
Investing in Alternatives to Irregular Migration from Central America: Options to Expand U.S. Employment Pathways
By  Cristobal Ramón
Cover image for The Impacts on English Learners of Key State High School Policies and Graduation Requirements
Reports
November 2021
The Impacts on English Learners of Key State High School Policies and Graduation Requirements
By  Julie Sugarman
Cover image for Medicaid Access and Participation
Policy Briefs
October 2021
Medicaid Access and Participation: A Data Profile of Eligible and Ineligible Immigrant Adults
By  Valerie Lacarte, Mark Greenberg and Randy Capps
cover image for A Framework for Language Access: Key Features of U.S. State and Local Language Access Laws and Policies
Reports
October 2021
A Framework for Language Access: Key Features of U.S. State and Local Language Access Laws and Policies
By  Jacob Hofstetter, Margie McHugh and Anna O’Toole
cover image for How We Talk about Migration: The Link between Migration Narratives, Policy, and Power
Reports
October 2021
How We Talk about Migration: The Link between Migration Narratives, Policy, and Power
By  Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan, Haim Malka and Shelly Culbertson
Cover image for Migración africana a través del continente americano
Reports
October 2021
Migración africana a través del continente americano: impulsores, rutas y respuestas normativas
By  Caitlyn Yates and Jessica Bolter
Cover image for African Migration through the Americas: Drivers, Routes, and Policy Responses
Reports
October 2021
African Migration through the Americas: Drivers, Routes, and Policy Responses
By  Caitlyn Yates and Jessica Bolter
Cover image for Toward a Better Immigration System: Fixing Immigration Governance at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Reports
October 2021
Toward a Better Immigration System: Fixing Immigration Governance at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
By  Doris Meissner and Ruth Ellen Wasem

Pages

A mariachi band performing in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Spotlight
October 13, 2022
Mexican Immigrants in the United States

Mexicans are by far the largest immigrant group in the United States, accounting for nearly one-fourth of all immigrants. However their numbers have been declining and in 2021 there were 1 million fewer than a decade ago. At the same time, despite years in which more new migrants came from China and India, Mexicans once again count as the largest group of new arrivals. This article outlines the changing shape and composition of this immigrant population.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks before a briefing on border security.
Policy Beat
September 28, 2022
Busing and Flights of Migrants by GOP Governors Mark a New Twist in State Intervention on Immigration

Operations by Texas, Florida, and Arizona to bus or fly asylum seekers and other migrants to Washington, DC, Martha's Vineyard, and other cities have succeeded in drawing attention to the unprecedented pace of U.S.-Mexico border arrivals. Described by some as political pawns, many migrants say the trips have upsides. Consequences aside, the transport of migrants by Republican governors raises the question whether a new era has begun: state-on-state fights over immigration.

A tourist takes a selfie in New York City.
Spotlight
September 15, 2022
Temporary Visa Holders in the United States

COVID-19 and restrictive policies from the Trump administration led to the most dramatic slowdown of temporary immigration to the United States in years, as fewer tourists, temporary workers, and international students arrived. This article reviews the trends in issuance of nonimmigrant visas and arrivals of temporary visitors, including the numbers issued annually over the past five years and the top countries of origin.

Close-up image of passport with third gender X marker
Feature
August 17, 2022
Rise of X: Governments Eye New Approaches for Trans and Nonbinary Travelers

In 2022, the United States joined a growing list of countries that allow for a third gender option (the “X” marker) in passports. This article examines the introduction of the X marker, the impacts of third gender markers for transgender and nonbinary travelers and migrants as well as border management systems, and the evolving policy landscape ahead.

Image of band playing music at a concert in Athens, GA.
Spotlight
August 4, 2022
Brazilian Immigrants in the United States

Persistent economic turmoil and civil and political insecurity have been drivers of emigration from Brazil, including to the United States. Although the number of Brazilian immigrants in the United States has been on the rise since the 1980s, the magnitude of these flows has made the past decade unique. Read a useful profile of Brazilians immigrants, including U.S. destinations, modes of entry, and educational and work characteristics.

Pages

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Commentaries
January 2017
Taking Action to Reflect Current Reality: Obama Administration Ends “Wet Foot, Dry Foot” Policies on Cuban Migration
By  Doris Meissner
Syrians NickOza IRC
Commentaries
January 2017
The U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program Is an Unsuitable Target
By  Kathleen Newland and T. Alexander Aleinikoff
Briya Public Charter School, Washington, DC, Lauren Stoltzfus
Commentaries
December 2016
New Data Resources Can Help Improve Targeting of State Early Childhood and Parent-Focused Programs
By  Margie McHugh
SKoreanRemoval ICE
Commentaries
November 2016
Unauthorized Immigrants with Criminal Convictions: Who Might Be a Priority for Removal?
By  Muzaffar Chishti and Michelle Mittelstadt
_ImmCleaners4
Commentaries
March 2016
Federal WIOA Plan Requirements Ignore Opportunities to Support Equitable Access for Immigrant/LEP Adults
By  Margie McHugh
A Latina youth and group of 3rd graders sitting at a table. The youth is reading a book to the children.
Commentaries
December 2015
New Education Legislation Includes Important Policies for English Learners, Potential Pitfalls for their Advocates
By  Delia Pompa
_MathStudent
Commentaries
November 2015
Meeting the Education Needs of Rising Numbers of Newly Arrived Migrant Students in Europe and the United States
By  Julie Sugarman
_SyrianRefugeeCamp
Commentaries
October 2015
The U.S. Record Shows Refugees Are Not a Threat
By  Kathleen Newland
A group of older Korean adults sitting in chairs at a Med-Cal event at the Korean Resource Center
Commentaries
October 2015
It is Time for Federal Agencies to Do More to Improve the Provision of Language Access Services
By  Margie McHugh
Dreamers DREAMActivist RubenHernandez
Commentaries
October 2015
Mapping the Patchwork of State ‘DREAM Acts’ and Postsecondary Education Policies for Unauthorized Immigrant Youth
By  Margie McHugh

Pages

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Video, Expert Q&A, Audio
November 9, 2020

What Is Immigration Policy Expected to Look Like in a Biden Administration?

What actions might the incoming Biden administration take on immigration, whether to unwind some of the most restrictive Trump policies or advance an affirmative agenda of its own? And what challenges and opportunities will the Biden administration face?

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Video, Audio
October 21, 2020

Lessons from the Pandemic: Weaknesses in K-12 Teacher Education Policies Fuel Inequities Facing English Learners

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of education, and it is expected that English Learners (ELs) will suffer disproportionate impacts. In this webcast, panelists discuss how weaknesses in existing EL teacher education and professional development policies have played into schools’ uneven response to the pandemic. They also offer lessons for future reform.

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Video, Audio
September 29, 2020

Centering English Learners in Schools’ Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Practioners from California and Tennessee join MPI researchers in a discussion on key challenges to meeting English Learners’ needs during the pandemic and the policies and practices school systems will need to put in place to support them and their families through the public-health and education crisis, as well as when schooling returns to normal.

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Video
September 21, 2020

17th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference

This year’s Immigration Law and Policy Conference examines the immigration policy agenda under the Trump administration, including changes in the asylum system; the vast societal upheaval brought on by COVID-19 and the rising racial justice movement; what the future of U.S. immigration may look like; and many other topics related to U.S. immigration policy.

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Video, Audio
September 10, 2020

The U.S. Immigration Policymaker-in-Chief: The Long History of Executive Authority over Immigration

Top legal scholars discuss the Trump administration’s substantial use of executive power to change the country’s course on immigration, how this compares to past administrations, and how the president’s role in immigration policy could be carefully considered and reimagined.

Pages

Recent Activity

Articles
January 11, 2024

European Immigrants in the United States

One-tenth of all immigrants in the United States come from Europe, a vast decline from the mid-20th century, as migration within Europe has grown and more U.S. immigrants arrive from other destinations. This article provides an overview of contemporary European immigration to the United States, as a region and by top European countries of origin.

Reports
January 2024

Shifting Realities at the U.S.-Mexico Border: Immigration Enforcement and Control in a Fast-Evolving Landscape

All eyes are on the U.S.-Mexico border, where shifting migration trends and record migrant arrivals have stretched the U.S. border management system beyond its capabilities. As the Biden administration continues to implement its new regime of incentives for orderly arrivals and disincentives for unauthorized crossings, this report analyzes the rapidly changing policy and migration realities and outlines recommendations for a more effective, durable system of border control.

Video, Audio, Webinars
November 30, 2023

The Importance of Community Consultations in the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Network

Coordination and communication among key stakeholders in the resettlement network have never been more critical. This conversation focuses on how consultation supports capacity building and where it can, at times, fall short. The discussion also focuses on key recommendations from a report, The Unmet Potential of Community Consultations in U.S. Refugee Resettlement, and actionable steps toward a more inclusive, collaborative, and adaptable consultation process.

Articles
December 6, 2023

Often Shut Out of the Financial System, Refugees and Other Migrants Face Economic Integration Challenges

Credit cards, bank accounts, and other financial services are often critical in order to fully participate in the modern world. Yet many refugees and other forced migrants have trouble obtaining these seemingly simple tools, preventing them from full integration. This article outlines humanitarian migrants’ needs for financial services and the barriers that can arise.

Reports
November 2023

The Unmet Potential of Community Consultations in U.S. Refugee Resettlement

As humanitarian migrant arrivals in the United States increase, via refugee resettlement and channels such as temporary parole, communication between the national, state, and local actors involved in supporting their reception and integration is critical. This report examines the goals and design of quarterly resettlement consultations, as well as opportunities to refine these processes to boost their impact and relevance in a changing policy landscape.

Articles
November 29, 2023

Antiquated U.S. Immigration System Ambles into the Digital World

The U.S. immigration system is notorious for persistent backlogs and antiquated processes. In recent months, under-the-radar changes have made a dent in the logjam and helped bring the system into the 21st century. But some pandemic-era changes are set to expire, potentially undoing the incremental reforms. This article details the quiet technological and efficiency improvements in U.S. immigration operations.

Articles
November 16, 2023

Climate Migration 101: An Explainer

Is climate change a major driver of migration and displacement? From where are people leaving, and where are they going? This informative primer, a Climate Migration 101 of sorts, provides answers to basic questions about climate change and migration, starting with how and where climate change triggers human movement.

Reports
November 2023

Immigration and Integration in the Ever More Diverse Houston Area

Nearly one-quarter of residents of the Houston metro area are immigrants. These foreign-born Houstonians come from an ever-wider range of countries and are well represented in high-demand industries, and make up a sizeable share of parents. This report sketches a profile of the Houston area’s immigrant population overall, and takes a closer look at the number and characteristics of those eligible to naturalize.

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