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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Showing 171–180 of 819 results
Biden Administration Asylum Processing Revamp at the U.S. Border Could Be a Game Changer
The Biden administration’s proposed asylum processing rule represents a fundamental retooling of the asylum system that preserves asylum as a bedrock element of the U.S. immigration system while also recognizing that a secure border and deterring unlawful crossings are legitimate and necessary attributes of an effective, credible immigration system, as this commentary explains.
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.
Supporting Unaccompanied Children in the U.S. Communities Where They Live
Featuring findings from a recent MPI report, speakers examined the process of releasing unaccompanied children to sponsors, the current structure of federal post-release services, and the most significant needs these children and their U.S. sponsors experience. The discussion also explored efforts by philanthropic, state, and local actors to address the needs of this population and their communities, what service gaps exist, and key recommendations to improve access to services.
Texas Once Again Tests the Boundaries of State Authority in Immigration Enforcement
Texas's unilateral border enforcement measures, such as border wall construction and state and local arrests of unauthorized immigrants, are facing significant legal challenges.
Brain Waste among Highly Skilled Immigrants in the United States: A Persistent Problem with Increasing Costs
Experts discuss findings from a report examining the underemployment of college graduates in the United States and explore the promising strategies that exist to mitigate this brain waste for the benefit of the U.S. economy.
Immigrant and Other U.S. Workers a Year into the Pandemic: A Focus on Top Immigrant States
A year into the pandemic, immigrant workers, especially women, faced steeper job losses than the U.S. born, with recovery patterns varying sharply by state and industry.
Lessons from Europe: The U.S. opportunity to rethink the links between development assistance and migration
As the United States embarks on a new strategy to address the root causes of migration and displacement from Central America, there is much that it can learn from Europe's experience in linking up migration and development aid. This commentary examines the experience of the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), drawing five key lessons directly applicable to the situation in Central America.
Strengthening Services for Unaccompanied Children in U.S. Communities
Tens of thousands of unaccompanied children arrive in U.S. communities each year with critical legal and service needs that local systems are ill-equipped to meet.
Leaving Money on the Table: The Persistence of Brain Waste among College-Educated Immigrants
As of 2019, 2 million college-educated immigrants were underemployed in the United States, with race, English proficiency, and legal status the key predictors of this brain waste.
A Solvable Challenge: Improving Asylee Access to Health and Other Benefits
While asylees are eligible for many of the same public benefits and services as resettled refugees, including health care and employment assistance, there is no system to inform them of their eligibility and to help connect them to resources. MPI estimates that fewer than 20 percent of those granted asylum in recent years received Office of Refugee Resettlement benefits during their first year. The U.S. government could address this gap with a few simple measures.
