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.
The Latest Research
U.S. Deportations and “Self-Deportations” in the First 18 Months of the Second Trump Term
Filling a gap amid a slowdown in official data reporting from the federal government, this analysis offers a window into deportation and "self…
Featured
Physicians in an Era of Changing Immigration Policy: The Case of Nephrology
The care of kidney disease in the United States relies heavily on international medical graduates (IMGs). Recent policy changes could deepen…
Temporary Visa Holders in the United States
The number of U.S. temporary visas plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic, rebounded, and then fell again in fiscal year (FY) 2025. Preliminary data…
Following Years of High Border Arrivals, the U.S. Unauthorized Immigrant Population Hits New Peak
MPI estimates the U.S. unauthorized immigrant population reached a new peak of 15.8 million as of mid-2024, after holding steady at around 11 million…
More Featured Work
From Counterterrorism to Immigration Enforcement: 25 Years On, Post-9/11 U.S. Changes Have Been Repointed
Post-9/11 national security tools have been repurposed for immigration, expanding the U.S. government’s capacity for surveillance, data sharing, and…
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,…
Though Rare, Birth Tourism to the United States Sparks Outsized Concern
While rare, birth tourism has become a central but contested justification in the Trump administration's push to end the guarantee of birthright…
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)Showing 151–160 of 824 results
Court-Ordered Relaunch of Remain in Mexico Policy Tweaks Predecessor Program, but Faces Similar Challenges
The court-ordered revival of Remain in Mexico for certain asylum seekers affects a Trump-era program with a troubled record.
Relaunching the Central American Minors Program: Opportunities to Enhance Child Safety and Family Reunification
The Central American Minors Program relaunch in 2021 expanded family reunification access. But it needs dedicated funding, simpler processing, and stronger integration support to succeed.
El relanzamiento del Programa de Menores Centroamericanos: Oportunidades para realzar la protección infantil y la reunificación familiar
El relanzamiento del Programa para Menores Centroamericanos en 2021 expandió el acceso a la reunificación familiar, pero aún requiere más financiamiento localizado, procesamientos más sencillos y mayor apoyo a la integración.
Thinking Regionally to Act Locally in Immigration Policy
Mexico is becoming a country of immigration, Central America a region of transit, and South America is improvising; what does a regional migration system look like?
MPI 20th Anniversary Conference: Migration & Humanitarian Protection in a Rapidly Evolving World
MPI’s 20th Anniversary featured the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration, António Vitorino, in an armchair conversation with MPI co-founder and President Emeritus Demetrios G. Papademetriou, and a panel discussion with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi and MPI co-founder Kathleen Newland.
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.
MPI Turns 20
As MPI celebrates two decades of providing essential research, policy analysis, and data on important immigration and immigrant integration issues, hear from members of the MPI community about what the institute has meant to them and how it has evolved.
Invertir en alternativas a la migración irregular desde Centroamérica: Opciones para expandir las vías de empleo en Estados Unidos
La expansión de visas H-2 y nuevas vías de empleo puede canalizar la migración irregular centroamericana hacia opciones legales y apoyar a empleadores de EE.UU con sus necesidades laborales.
Investing in Alternatives to Irregular Migration from Central America: Options to Expand U.S. Employment Pathways
Expanding U.S. employment-based pathways could offer legal alternatives to irregular Central American migration while helping address U.S. labor shortages.
Narrowing the Skills Gap: Equipping Immigrant-Origin Workers with Postsecondary Credentials
The number of U.S. adults who could benefit from efforts to boost postsecondary credential attainment is strikingly large. Nearly 96 million working-age adults lack a postsecondary credential, 28 million of them of immigrant origin, MPI estimates. This commentary examines how enabling immigrant-origin adults to attain credentials beyond a high school diploma is vital to both building a skilled workforce and closing equity gaps.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]