Julia Gelatt
Julia Gelatt is Associate Director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute. Her research and policy work focus on the legal immigration system, demographic trends, unauthorized immigrants and mixed-status families, access to public benefits and government services, and the impacts of U.S. immigration policies on immigrant families and the U.S. economy. She leads MPI’s data team, and development of the Institute’s estimates of the size and characteristics of the unauthorized immigrant population.
Dr. Gelatt previously worked as a Research Associate at the Urban Institute, where her mixed-methods research focused on state policies toward immigrants and barriers to and facilitators of immigrant families’ access to public benefits. She was a Research Assistant at MPI before graduate school.
She earned her PhD in sociology, with a specialization in demography, from Princeton University, where her work focused on the relationship between immigration status and children’s health and well-being. She earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology/anthropology from Carleton College.
- Media Inquiries
-
Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]
Explore Content by Julia Gelatt
Showing 31-40 of 112 total results
A Profile of Low-Income Immigrants in the United States
In 2019, nearly 15 million U.S. immigrants were low income and had higher uninsured rates and lower public benefits use than their U.S.-born counterparts at similar income levels.
Busing and Flights of Migrants by GOP Governors Mark a New Twist in State Intervention on Immigration
Republican governors' busing and flights of migrants to Democratic cities escalated state-versus-state immigration politics and exposed gaps in the U.S. reception system.
At Its 10th Anniversary, DACA Faces a Tenuous Future Despite Societal Benefits
Ten years on, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) has proven transformative for hundreds of thousands of Dreamers and the economy. But its future remains uncertain.
COVID-19’s Effects on U.S. Immigration and Immigrant Communities, Two Years On
COVID-19 slashed U.S. immigration to decade lows, hit immigrant workers hardest, and excluded many from federal relief because of immigration-status rules.
For Overwhelmed Immigration Court System, New ICE Guidelines Could Lead to Dismissal of Many Low-Priority Cases
New prosecutorial discretion guidelines aim to reduce a 1.8 million backlog in U.S. immigration courts by dismissing low-priority cases. But implementation challenges remain.
Straight Path to Legal Permanent Residence for Afghan Evacuees Would Build on Strong U.S. Precedent
Dating to the 1950s, Congress on multiple occasions has provided a direct path to permanent residence for Hungarians, Vietnamese, Cubans, and others fleeing upheaval in their countries. Given this precedent, this commentary suggests Congress should act to provide a more secure future for the more than 72,000 Afghans who were airlifted to the United States under an uncertain immigration status known as parole.
Mounting Backlogs Undermine U.S. Immigration System and Impede Biden Policy Changes
Immigration case backlogs reached record levels across the U.S. government, slowing legal immigration and threatening to derail the Biden policy agenda.
Leveraging the Benefits That Immigration Can Bring
Immigration outcomes depend not just on who arrives, but on how effectively their skills are recognized and integrated into the economy.
Immigrants’ U.S. Labor Market Disadvantage in the COVID-19 Economy: The Role of Geography and Industries of Employment
Immigrants faced steeper labor losses than U.S.-born workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by concentration in high-risk industries and geographic clusters hit hardest.
U.S. Government Rush to Evacuate Afghan Allies and Allocate Sufficient Special Visas Comes at Eleventh Hour
As U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, chronic processing failures left tens of thousands of Afghans in limbo, prompting last-minute legislative and evacuation efforts.
