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 211–220 of 824 results
What Is Immigration Policy Expected to Look Like in a Biden Administration?
What would Biden’s immigration agenda mean for asylum, enforcement, and legal pathways?
Building a New Regional Migration System: Redefining U.S. Cooperation with Mexico and Central America
An enforcement-only approach cannot manage Central American migration. A regional system of legal pathways, protection, and development is needed, as this report sketches.
An Early Readout on the Economic Effects of the COVID-19 Crisis: Immigrant Women Have the Highest Unemployment
Immigrant women in the United States faced the steepest job losses in the COVID-19 recession, with unemployment peaking at 18.5 percent in May 2020.
Immigration Data Matters
This useful resource collects in one place some of the top and most authoritative sources for often-sought U.S. and international data on immigrants and immigration trends.
At the Starting Gate: The Incoming Biden Administration’s Immigration Plans
This brief maps immigration challenges and opportunities facing the incoming Biden administration in enforcement, asylum, legalization, and regional cooperation.
Trump's Promise of Millions of Deportations Is Yet to Be Fulfilled
Despite 400-plus executive actions during its first term, the Trump administration deported significantly fewer unauthorized immigrants than the Obama administration did.
The U.S. Presidential Campaign Cements Political Parties’ Deepening Schism on Immigration
The 2020 U.S. presidential campaign crystallized two decades of partisan drift on immigration, with a sharp divide on belief about immigrants’ contributions to the country.
Immigrant-Origin Students in U.S. Higher Education: A Data Profile
Immigrant-origin students, who were 28 percent of U.S. college enrollment in 2018, are growing fast and projected to drive U.S. labor force growth through at least 2035.
Navigating the Future of Work: The Role of Immigrant-Origin Workers in the Changing U.S. Economy
Immigrant-origin workers drove 83 percent of U.S. labor force growth from 2010 to 2018 and face similar automation and job-decline risks as their native-born peers.
Rethinking the U.S.-Mexico Border Immigration Enforcement System: A Policy Road Map
This road map urges restructuring U.S.-Mexico border enforcement into an enduring function, marrying effective border security with fair, humane enforcement and increased cooperation.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]