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
202 266 1910 [email protected]
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22nd Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference
Featuring a keynote by CNN's Fareed Zakaria, this conference explored pressing U.S. immigration issues, from mass deportations' and enforcement to legal services and the immigration court system.
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.
Maine’s Immigrant Communities: Diverse Origins, Characteristics, and Challenges
Maine’s small but growing immigrant population, with many from Africa, Asia, and Canada, is vital to the state workforce yet still face barriers in housing, language, and access to benefits.
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.
Trump Administration’s Expansion of Fast-Track Deportation Powers Is Transforming Immigration Enforcement
The Trump administration is using fast-track deportation powers on an unprecedented scale as it seeks to carry out 1 million deportations annually.
All in for a Thriving Connecticut: Opportunities to Support Upward Mobility for the State’s Immigrant Families
With immigrants driving all population growth since 2006, Connecticut has opportunities to promote the upward mobility of immigrant families for overall societal benefit.
Beyond ICE: State and Local Authorities Become Central to Trump Administration Deportations Strategy
The Trump administration is deputizing state and local officers at record scale, reshaping U.S. immigration enforcement through 287(g) agreements, new funding, and legal pressures.
Can the Trump Administration’s “Self-Deportation” Campaign Succeed?
The Trump administration's “self-deportation” campaign pairs incentives for immigrants to leave with threats of steep fines and arrests for staying. Historical precedents suggest limited voluntary uptake.
Can Near-Historic Low Migrant Encounter Levels at the U.S.-Mexico Border Be Sustained?
Migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border have fallen to lows not seen since the 1960s. But can this trend continue amid a sharp policy shift to a deterrence-focused approach, setting aside a carrot-and-stick migration management strategy? This short read looks at the evidence.
The Health Costs to Children of Stepped-Up U.S. Immigration Enforcement
Evidence suggests heightened U.S. immigration enforcement will have major and lasting effects on the physical and mental health of unauthorized immigrants and their children.
