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
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…
In Its Second Term, Trump Administration Quietly Expands Family Separation
Immigration enforcement during the second Trump term is driving a quieter, more diffuse wave of family separations inside the United States, often…
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…
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)
Showing 261–270 of 821 results
Supreme Court Asylum Ruling Latest Sign Judiciary Is Not the Brake on the Trump Administration that Immigration-Rights Activists Sought
The Supreme Court's September 2019 ruling upholding a transit-country asylum ban illustrates its consistent deference to executive authority on immigration.
Investing in the Neighborhood: Changing Mexico-U.S. Migration Patterns and Opportunities for Sustainable Cooperation
Mexico-U.S. migration has shifted: unauthorized Mexican flows slowed while Central American arrivals surged, requiring regional cooperation on asylum reform and legal pathways.
Invertir en el vecindario: Cambios en los patrones de migración entre México y Estados Unidos y oportunidades para una cooperación sostenible
La migración no autorizada de mexicanos disminuye, pero los flujos centroamericanos crecen, exigiendo cooperación bilateral en materia de asilo, vías legales e integración.
As the United States Resettles Fewer Refugees, Some Countries and Religions Face Bigger Hits than Others
Even as refugee admissions have dropped sharply during the Trump administration, some countries and religions have been significantly more affected than others, as this commentary explores. In fiscal year 2019, 79 percent of refugees were Christian and 16 percent Muslim—as compared to 44 percent Christian and 46 percent Muslim in fiscal year 2016, which was the last full year of the Obama administration.
Chronicling Migration in the 21st Century Through One Family's Journey
This event marked the launch of New York Times reporter Jason DeParle's book tracing the arc of migration as a phenomenon, witnessed through three decades observing a particular Filipino family moving from Manila to Texas. The conversation explored both the human and policy aspects of migration and development.
Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy: Building a Responsive, Effective Immigration System
This event marks the launch of a major new initiative—Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy—that aims to generate a big-picture, evidence-driven vision of the role immigration can and should play in America’s future in order to leverage a comparative advantage for the nation.
Millions Will Feel Chilling Effects of U.S. Public-Charge Rule That Is Also Likely to Reshape Legal Immigration
The Trump administration's 2019 public-charge rule risks prompting 22.7 million noncitizens and U.S.-citizen family members to drop benefits while also reshaping legal immigration.
From Control to Crisis: Changing Trends and Policies Reshaping U.S.-Mexico Border Enforcement
Punitive enforcement-only measures failed to stem record flows of Central American families at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2019, underscoring the need for a new approach.
Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy: New Realities Call for New Answers
This policy brief underscores the need for an evidence-driven overhaul of U.S. policy to treat immigration as a strategic national resource and comparative advantage.
Immigration and the U.S. Labor Market: A Look Ahead
As aging and low birth rates drag on U.S. economic growth, expanding legal immigration offers a key tool to bolster the workforce, fill skill gaps, and spur entrepreneurship.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]