U.S. Immigration Policy Program
The U.S. Immigration Policy Program provides thought leadership on ways to improve the U.S. immigration system so that it works most effectively in the national interest. To that end, its work focuses on immigration pathways to the United States and immigration enforcement policies and their impacts. It examines the complex demographic, economic, social, political, foreign policy, and other forces that shape U.S. immigration.
Program staff produce data and analyses of immigration trends and the characteristics of U.S. immigrant populations, including unauthorized immigrants. And they conduct original research on the impacts of policy change and the experiences of immigrant populations in diverse parts of the country. This work is frequently informed by private convenings of policymakers and key stakeholders. For more, click here.
Featured
The Immigration Debate America Needs—and Is Not Having
Immigration is central to America’s economic future, yet debate fixates on border crises and policy failures instead of how a modern legal…
Trump Restrictions on Legal Immigration Could Sharply Reduce U.S. Population Growth
President Donald Trump's second-term curbs on legal immigration, spanning visas, refugees, and family reunification, could meaningfully slow U.S…
More Featured Work
Key Statistics
Learn more about immigrants and immigration to the United States
14.8%
The immigrant share of the total U.S. population
Learn how this share has evolved (opens in a new tab)50.2 million
The number of immigrants in the United States
Explore Data Profiles by State (opens in a new tab)18.4%
The share of workers in the U.S. civilian labor force who are immigrants
Get the data at U.S. and state levels (opens in a new tab)
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Michelle Mittelstadt
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Revamping Asylum at the U.S.-Mexico Border: A Workable Rescue?
The border asylum proposed rule the Biden administration unveiled in February represents a bid to save the U.S. asylum system, not shut it down, as some contend. Whether it can succeed, however, depends on how it is implemented and on other steps that are beyond the bounds of the proposed rule, as this commentary explains.
Imminent End of Formal U.S. Pandemic Emergencies Marks New Era in Immigration Realm
The end of U.S. pandemic emergency declarations will shrink public benefits and reduce health-care access for U.S. residents, with immigrants bearing a disproportionate share of the fallout.
Unblocking the U.S. Immigration System: Executive Actions to Facilitate the Migration of Needed Workers
Without congressional action, U.S. federal agencies can take targeted steps to cut processing backlogs and keep needed workers authorized and productive in the U.S. economy.
Biden at the Two-Year Mark: Significant Immigration Actions Eclipsed by Record Border Numbers
Two years in, the Biden administration set a record pace of executive immigration actions, but high border encounters, court setbacks, and congressional inaction left its agenda unfinished.
Four Strategies to Improve Community Services for Unaccompanied Children in the United States
Coordination, school-based hubs, interdisciplinary care, and a skilled workforce are four key strategies to improve post-release services for unaccompanied children.
The Skills and Economic Outcomes of Immigrant and U.S.-Born College Graduates
Immigrant college graduates match or exceed U.S.-born peers economically, yet the skills of one-fifth of them are underutilized. The gap can be closed with English skills training and credential reform.
After a Slump, Legal Immigration to the United States Is Returning to Pre-Pandemic Levels
U.S. legal immigration is bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels, but massive processing backlogs continue to slow recovery.
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.
Amid Record Venezuelan Arrivals, Biden Administration Embraces Border Expulsions Policy
Facing record Venezuelan arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border, the Biden administration paired border expulsions with a limited humanitarian parole program.
El número récord de encuentros con migrantes en la frontera México-Estados Unidos encubre la historia más importante
Los titulares enfocados en la cifra récord de 2,4 millones de migrantes encontrados en la frontera México-Estados Unidos durante el año fiscal 2022 encubren la historia más importante: Los flujos migratorios se han diversificado rápidamente más allá de México y el norte Centroamérica, y como resultado, las políticas de control migratorio son incongruentes con la realidad de hoy. Esto demuestra la evidente necesitad de nuevos enfoques regionales, argumenta este comentario.
