E.g., 04/23/2024
E.g., 04/23/2024
DREAM Act/Deferred Action

DREAM Act/Deferred Action

Conferring legal status on young unauthorized immigrants brought to the U.S. as children—a group referred to as DREAMers—has been the subject of legislation in Congress since 2001. In 2012, the Obama administration launched the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative to provide a temporary reprieve from deportation to qualified unauthorized immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. In 2017, the Trump administration announced the program's termination. The research here offers a demographic portrait of the DACA and broader DREAMer populations. Check out our DACA data tools, with state-level and national-origin data, here.

Recent Activity

Flags of South American countries.
Articles
April 11, 2024
South American Immigrants in the United States
By Julian Montalvo and Jeanne Batalova
A naturalization ceremony at the White House.
Articles
March 13, 2024
Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States
By Jeanne Batalova
President Joe Biden signs an executive order.
Articles
January 19, 2024
Biden at the Three-Year Mark: The Most Active Immigration Presidency Yet Is Mired in Border Crisis Narrative
By Muzaffar Chishti, Kathleen Bush-Joseph, and Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh
A celebration for the Feast of San Gennaro in New York's Little Italy
Articles
January 11, 2024
European Immigrants in the United States
By Feyisayo Oyolola and Jeanne Batalova
Image of USCIS employees at work
Articles
November 29, 2023
Antiquated U.S. Immigration System Ambles into the Digital World
By Muzaffar Chishti and Julia Gelatt
A Haitian-American book fair in Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood
Articles
November 8, 2023
Haitian Immigrants in the United States
By Beatrice Dain and Jeanne Batalova
A Vietnamese family in the kitchen.
Articles
October 11, 2023
Vietnamese Immigrants in the United States
By Jeanne Batalova
President Biden meets with DACA recipients
Commentaries
September 2023
A Shrinking Number of DACA Participants Face Yet Another Adverse Court Ruling
By  Ariel G. Ruiz Soto and Julia Gelatt

Pages

Cover image for Four Years of Profound Change: Immigration Policy during the Trump Presidency
Reports
February 2022
Four Years of Profound Change: Immigration Policy during the Trump Presidency
By  Jessica Bolter, Emma Israel and Sarah Pierce
coverthumb_rethinking legalization 2021
Reports
February 2021
Back on the Table: U.S. Legalization and the Unauthorized Immigrant Groups that Could Factor in the Debate
By  Jessica Bolter, Muzaffar Chishti and Doris Meissner
Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States: Stable Numbers, Changing Origins
Fact Sheets
December 2020
Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States: Stable Numbers, Changing Origins
By  Randy Capps, Julia Gelatt, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto and Jennifer Van Hook
coverthumb_biden starting gate
Policy Briefs
November 2020
At the Starting Gate: The Incoming Biden Administration’s Immigration Plans
By  Doris Meissner and Michelle Mittelstadt
Dismantling and Reconstructing the U.S. Immigration System: A Catalog of Changes under the Trump Presidency
Reports
July 2020
Dismantling and Reconstructing the U.S. Immigration System: A Catalog of Changes under the Trump Presidency
By  Sarah Pierce and Jessica Bolter
Reports
May 2019
Immigration-Related Policy Changes in the First Two Years of the Trump Administration
By  Sarah Pierce
Coverthumb UnauthorizedImmigrant HS Graduates FactSheet
Fact Sheets
April 2019
How Many Unauthorized Immigrants Graduate from U.S. High Schools Annually?
By  Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova
Reports
September 2018
A Profile of Houston’s Diverse Immigrant Population in a Rapidly Changing Policy Landscape
By  Randy Capps and Ariel G. Ruiz Soto

Pages

Flags of South American countries.
Spotlight
April 11, 2024
South American Immigrants in the United States

The South American immigrant population in the United States has grown at a faster rate than that of the overall foreign-born population, amid crises in Venezuela, Colombia, and elsewhere. Yet South Americans still account for only about one in ten U.S. immigrants. While they mirror the overall U.S. immigrant population in several demographic characteristics, there are some notable differences, as this article details.

A naturalization ceremony at the White House.
Spotlight
March 13, 2024
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.

President Joe Biden signs an executive order.
Policy Beat
January 19, 2024
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.

A celebration for the Feast of San Gennaro in New York's Little Italy
Spotlight
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.

Image of USCIS employees at work
Policy Beat
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.

Pages

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President Biden meets with DACA recipients
Commentaries
September 2023
A Shrinking Number of DACA Participants Face Yet Another Adverse Court Ruling
By  Ariel G. Ruiz Soto and Julia Gelatt
Commentaries
February 2021
A Deeper Look at the DREAMers Who Could Feature in the Legalization Debate in Congress
By  Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
Commentaries
March 2019
More Than a DREAM (Act), Less Than a Promise
By  Julia Gelatt
Commentaries
June 2018
A Narrower Path in the House for Most DREAMers
By  Julia Gelatt and Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
Commentaries
June 2018
House Bills Would Largely Dismantle Asylum System at U.S.-Mexico Border
By  Jessica Bolter and Sarah Pierce
Commentaries
February 2018
A Path to Citizenship for 1.8 Million DREAMERs? Despite Talk, No Proposal Would Do So
By  Sarah Pierce
Commentaries
January 2018
The Trump Immigration Plan: A Lopsided Proposal
By  Julia Gelatt and Sarah Pierce
_DREAMer
Commentaries
December 2017
Will DREAMers Crowd U.S.-Born Millennials Out of Jobs?
By  Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
Commentaries
November 2017
Legalization for DREAMers: A Realistic Appraisal of Potential Chain Migration
By  Julia Gelatt and Randy Capps
Commentaries
September 2017
All Eyes Turn to Congress, Following Trump Decision to Terminate DACA Program
By  Julia Gelatt

Pages

Video
September 20, 2022

19th Annual Immigration Law & Policy Conference

Focusing on top immigration policy issues at federal and state levels, this 2022 Immigration Law and Policy Conference featured keynotes by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson exploring the growing role states are taking in the national immigration debate.

Video, Audio
January 19, 2022

Biden at One: Assessing the Administration’s Immigration Record

This MPI discussion with leading experts, advocates, and a top official from the administration examines the Biden track record on immigration and what lays ahead

Video
February 4, 2021

Prospects for a U.S. Legalization Program and the Unauthorized Immigrant Groups that Could Factor in the Debate

Following President Biden's call on Congress to enact a sweeping immigration proposal that offers most unauthorized immigrants a pathway to citizenship, this discussion examines the prospects for any legislative efforts at immigration reform, what bipartisan support might develop, and the various legalization policy options.

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?

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.

Pages

Recent Activity

Articles
August 11, 2021

Central American Immigrants in the United States

The number of Central American immigrants in the United States has grown dramatically, amid political corruption, violence, and natural disasters in their native countries. But recent images of Central Americans arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border do not tell the whole story, with more than half the population arriving in 2000 or earlier. This article offers key data on the 3.8 million Central American immigrants in the United States.

Articles
April 26, 2021

Border Challenges Dominate, But Biden’s First 100 Days Mark Notable Under-the-Radar Immigration Accomplishments

During his first 100 days in office, U.S. President Joe Biden took more than three times as many executive actions on immigration as predecessor Donald Trump. While rising encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border have captured major attention, Biden has been remarkably active in areas that have received far less attention, including interior enforcement. This article explores the administration's actions during its first three months.

Commentaries
February 2021

A Deeper Look at the DREAMers Who Could Feature in the Legalization Debate in Congress

The DREAM Act of 2021 could represent one of the narrower legalization measures with better prospects for passage in a narrowly divided Congress. MPI's latest estimates of the DREAMers who could gain conditional and then permanent legal status are offered here, as are the share of DREAMers who feature in another ongoing conversation, around essential workers in the U.S. labor market overall as well as in the health-care sector.

Articles
February 11, 2021

Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States

Have a question about U.S. immigration trends and the country's immigrant population? This article collects in one place the most sought-after information about the world's largest immigrant population and how it has changed over time. Drawing from a wide array of authoritative data sources, this article provides an up-to-date snapshot of the immigrant population, visa and enforcement statistics, and information on emerging trends, including slowing immigration and changing origins.

Video, Webinars
February 4, 2021

Prospects for a U.S. Legalization Program and the Unauthorized Immigrant Groups that Could Factor in the Debate

Following President Biden's call on Congress to enact a sweeping immigration proposal that offers most unauthorized immigrants a pathway to citizenship, this discussion examines the prospects for any legislative efforts at immigration reform, what bipartisan support might develop, and the various legalization policy options. The event also showcases MPI estimates of subgroups within the unauthorized population, including DREAMers and essential workers. 

Reports
February 2021

Back on the Table: U.S. Legalization and the Unauthorized Immigrant Groups that Could Factor in the Debate

With legalization of the U.S. unauthorized immigrant population back on the table, this report offers estimates and characteristics for subgroups that have particularly strong equities, including DREAMers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients, and parents and spouses of U.S. citizens. It also traces past legalizations and details the range and scope of legalization options that policymakers have.

Articles
January 27, 2021

Biden Sets the Stage for a Remarkably Active First 100 Days on Immigration

The Biden administration has set the pace for what could be the most active first 100 days on immigration policy by any White House in recent memory—even that of predecessor Donald Trump. The efforts, which represent a dramatic break from the Trump administration's view of immigration as threat, are likely to meet stiff opposition on Capitol Hill and elsewhere. This article evaluates Biden's early actions and what they suggest about the White House's ambitions on immigration.

Fact Sheets
December 2020

Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States: Stable Numbers, Changing Origins

After decades of growth, the number of unauthorized immigrants in the United States has remained largely stable since the 2008–09 recession. The group's demographics are changing, though, with a shrinking number of Mexicans and rising Asian and Central American arrivals. This fact sheet presents a profile of these 11 million individuals, including top origin countries; U.S. destinations; and age, education, job, income, home ownership, English proficiency, and other characteristics.

Pages