United States

Mexican Migration to the United States: Underlying Economic Factors and Possible Scenarios for Future Flows

Sectoral demand shifts—not just supply-side shocks—explain Mexican migration trends since 1990, and net flows are projected to stay well below 1990s peaks through 2017.

The Fundamentals of Immigration Reform

MPI's President and the Editor-in-Chief of The American Prospect discuss the policies and politics that have created the United States' immigration system and how to create a modern-day, flexible immigration system suited for 21st century competitiveness.

Central American Immigrants in the United States

The number of U.S. immigrants from Central America grew more than 60-fold from 1960 to 2011.

Sequester Affects Immigration Enforcement — and Invites Attention to Detention Policy

When the U.S. sequester forced the release of 2,228 immigration detainees, the political fallout spotlighted the high cost and contested logic of U.S. immigration detention.

Immigrants in a Changing Labor Market: Responding to Economic Needs

Key Immigration Laws and Policy Developments Since 1986

Since enactment of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, U.S. immigration enforcement has expanded steadily while comprehensive reform has repeatedly stalled in Congress.

Major U.S. Immigration Laws, 1790 - Present

U.S. immigration law has swung between openness and restriction since 1790, with each era's legislation shaped by labor needs, national security fears, and racial politics.

Unauthorized Immigrant Parents and Their Children's Development

Parental unauthorized status harms the cognitive development of children across all life stages, with removal and detention carrying the most severe consequences.

The Separation of Nuclear Families under U.S. Immigration Law

Border Security: Measuring the Progress and Addressing the Challenges