Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
Ariel G. Ruiz Soto is a Senior Policy Analyst at MPI, where he works in the U.S. Immigration Policy Program and the Latin America and Caribbean Initiative.
His mixed-methods research examines how governments across the Western Hemisphere design, coordinate, and implement migration policies, as well as how those policies affect foreign- and native-born populations. He also analyzes sociodemographic trends used to estimate the unauthorized immigrant population in the United States, helping to inform evidence-based policy debates.
He writes regularly on immigration enforcement, migrant reception and reintegration, and asylum and refugee policy in the United States, Mexico, and Central America. He is a co-author of On the Move: Migration Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean (Stanford University Press, 2025), which examines how host countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have responded to large-scale and uneven migration flows.
Mr. Ruiz Soto holds a master’s degree from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration with a focus on immigration policy and service provision, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Whitman College.
Languages: Spanish
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Explore Content by Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
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Rebuilding Lives in Guatemala: Understanding Returnee Profiles and Reintegration Challenges
Guatemalan returnees’ profile is changing, as they often have lived outside Guatemala for longer and have deep roots elsewhere. This report analyzes ways to strengthen reintegration services.
Reconstruyendo vidas en Guatemala: Entendiendo los perfiles de los migrantes retornados y los retos para su reintegración
El perfil de los migrantes guatemaltecos que están siendo forzados a retornar a Guatemala ha mostrado señales de cambio. Este informe analiza las oportunidades para fortalecer los servicios de reintegración.
When Sports and U.S. Immigration Policy Collide
How will Trump-era immigration crackdowns, travel bans, and visa hurdles shape who gets to experience the 2026 World Cup in person?
Attacked as "De Facto Amnesty," U.S. Temporary Protected Status Is Abruptly Eroded
The Trump administration moved to terminate most of the 17 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations in place when its second term began, potentially leaving zero protections in place by late November 2026.
U.S. Third-Country Deportation Agreements Are More About Fear than Numbers
The Trump administration's third-country deportation agreements with 27 governments represent a small share of U.S. removals. But fear may be their main function.
El aumento de la migración en América Latina y el Caribe ha marcado el comienzo de una nueva era volátil
América Latina y el Caribe se enfrentan a una nueva era de migración marcada por la inestabilidad: los avances en materia de solidaridad se están desvaneciendo, las presiones para deportar a los migrantes van en aumento y la cooperación regional está perdiendo terreno.
Rising Migration in Latin America and the Caribbean Has Ushered in a Volatile New Era
Latin America and the Caribbean face a volatile new migration era: Solidarity gains are fraying, deportation pressures are mounting, and regional cooperation is losing ground.
A New Era of Immigration Enforcement Unfolds in the U.S. Interior and at the Border under Trump 2.0
The transformation in U.S. immigration enforcement taking place at the U.S.-Mexico border and in communities across the United States during the second Trump term is tangibly captured in government data for fiscal year (FY) 2025. This short read sifts through the available data to look at encounters, arrests, detentions, and deportations during the fiscal year.
Changing Origins, Rising Numbers: Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States
MPI estimates 13.7 million unauthorized immigrants lived in the United States as of mid-2023, up 3 million since 2019, with more diverse origins and legal circumstances.
En movimiento: Realidades migratorias en rápida transformación en América Latina y el Caribe
¿Cómo han respondido América Latina y el Caribe al mayor aumento relativo de migración internacional en el mundo desde 2010? Este webinario lo analiza.