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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.

A man in a high-visibility jacket and gloves at work
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

DiwaliinCupertino JitzeCouperus Flickr
Articles
May 6, 2015
Indian Immigrants in the United States
By Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova
EVENTPH 2015.5.4 No End in Sight The Worsening Syrian Refugee Crisis
Multimedia
May 4, 2015
No End in Sight: The Worsening Syrian Refugee Crisis
coverthumb ECEC Workforce Report
Reports
April 2015
Immigrant and Refugee Workers in the Early Childhood Field: Taking a Closer Look
By  Maki Park, Margie McHugh, Jeanne Batalova and Jie Zong
ShrimpProcessing PaulGoyette Flickr
Articles
April 23, 2015
Recent Court Decisions Put a Sharp Spotlight on U.S. H-2B Temporary Worker Visa Program
By Muzaffar Chishti, Faye Hipsman, and Sarah Pierce
EVENTPH 2014.17 The New National Integration Plan Cecilia Munoz
Multimedia
April 17, 2015
The New National Integration Plan: Making the Most of a Historic Opportunity
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Reports
April 2015
Unaccompanied Child Migration to the United States: The Tension between Protection and Prevention
By  Marc R. Rosenblum
90milestoCuba dragonflyajt Flickr
Articles
April 7, 2015
Cuban Immigrants in the United States
By Sylvia Rusin, Jie Zong, and Jeanne Batalova
EventPH 2015.3.31 Unaccompanied Child Migration to the United States Flickr CBP Processing Unaccompanied Children
Multimedia
March 31, 2015
Child and Family Migration to the United States: Continuing Flows and Evolving Responses

Pages

Spotlight
January 5, 2009
Korean Immigrants in the United States in 2007

The 1.0 million Korean immigrants residing in the United States in 2007 accounted for 2.7 percent of all U.S. immigrants. MPI's Aaron Terrazas examines their socioeconomic characteristics, where they live, and the size of the Korean-born unauthorized population.

Policy Beat
December 15, 2008
Obama's Homeland Security Selection Viewed as Focused on Immigration

MPI's Muzaffar Chishti and Claire Bergeron report on Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano's nomination to head homeland security, changes to the H-2A program, suspension of a refugee family-reunification program, and more.

Top Ten
December 4, 2008
Immigration Ultimately Not an Issue in the 2008 Election

The subject of immigration was almost nonexistent in the general-election contest between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain though both candidates sought the Latino vote.

Spotlight
November 17, 2008
College-Educated Immigrants in the United States

Contrary to a widely held view, not all immigrants have little education. About one in three immigrants is a person with either a U.S. or foreign college degree.

Policy Beat
November 17, 2008
Hispanic Vote Goes for Obama But May Not Lead to Quick Action on Immigration Reform

MPI's Muzaffar Chishti and Claire Bergeron report on the 2008 presidential election, two Supreme Court cases on immigration, Arizona Proposition 202, and more.

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Recent Activity

Articles
May 6, 2015

Indian Immigrants in the United States

Indian immigrants represent the second-largest origin group in the United States, accounting for 4.7 percent of the total foreign-born population. Generally high-skilled and highly educated, more than half of Indian immigrants have arrived since 2000 and largely attain green cards through employment-based pathways. Indians account for 70 percent of H-1B petitions and are the second-largest group of international students in the United States.

Video, Audio
May 4, 2015

No End in Sight: The Worsening Syrian Refugee Crisis

A discussion on the situation of Syrian refugees, recent developments in the region, and the U.S. humanitarian response, along with reports from recent fact-finding missions to the region by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Refugee Council USA. Speakers from both organizations, as well as a leading official in the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, discuss conditions for refugees in camps and urban settings, as well as U.S. policy regarding the Syrian crisis. 

Reports
April 2015

Immigrant and Refugee Workers in the Early Childhood Field: Taking a Closer Look

With the young child population in the United States rapidly becoming more diverse, the cultural and linguistic competencies of the early childhood education and care workforce (ECEC) are more important than ever. This report aims to fill gaps in knowledge of immigrants and refugees in the ECEC workforce and provides recommendations for strengthening workforce quality to better serve all children.
Articles
April 23, 2015

Recent Court Decisions Put a Sharp Spotlight on U.S. H-2B Temporary Worker Visa Program

The H-2B visa allows U.S. employers to bring in foreign workers to temporarily fill low-skill nonagricultural jobs across a wide range of states and industries. A series of recent legal challenges has exposed the presence of fraud and abuse, while stripping the program of its regulations and raising uncertainty about its future. This Policy Beat examines the implications in the debate surrounding temporary worker programs.
Video, Audio
April 17, 2015

The New National Integration Plan: Making the Most of a Historic Opportunity

A discussion with the Director of The White House Domestic Policy Council on the content of the new National Integration Plan delivered to the President by the recently created White House Task Force on New Americans, along with the plan for implementation.

Reports
April 2015

Unaccompanied Child Migration to the United States: The Tension between Protection and Prevention

Policymakers, the public, and the media were seemingly caught off-guard in spring 2014 when a surge of child migrants from Central America reached the U.S.-Mexico border in unprecedented numbers. Yet the uptick began in 2011. This report examines the causes of this surge and recommends policy solutions to advance both critical protection and enforcement goals in situations of complex, mixed flows.

Articles
April 7, 2015

Cuban Immigrants in the United States

Cuban immigrants are afforded a special place in U.S. immigration law, with most able to gain permanent residency after one year in the country. Following a history of surges in maritime migration, more than 1.1 million Cuban immigrants resided in the United States in 2013, accounting for about 3 percent of the total foreign-born population. This article explores key characteristics of Cubans in the United States, including educational attainment, income, and more.

Video, Audio, Webinars
March 31, 2015

Child and Family Migration to the United States: Continuing Flows and Evolving Responses

A webinar examining the shifting pattern of Central American child and family migration between 2011 and 2014 and expectations for 2015, the policy challenges presented by the rising inflow, and how states, localities, the U.S. government, and other countries in the region are responding to this recent trend.

Pages