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 291–300 of 821 results
Illegal Immigration in the United States
How have the size and characteristics of the unauthorized population changed over time? And how are unauthorized immigration patterns changing?
Policy Solutions to Address Crisis at Border Exist, But Require Will and Staying Power to Execute
A range of policy responses would more effectively address the complex factors fueling Central American migration than closing the U.S.-Mexico border and cutting off aid to Central America.
How the U.S. Legal Immigration System Works
This explainer answers common questions about the visa categories immigrants use to move temporarily or permanently to the United States, how many people are in the green-card backlog, and more.
Remain in Mexico Plan Echoes Earlier U.S. Policy to Deter Haitian Migration
The Remain in Mexico policy echoes 1980s and 1990s Haitian interdiction strategies, with key legal distinctions that may determine whether it survives court challenge.
Upskilling the U.S. Labor Force: Mapping the Credentials of Immigrant-Origin Workers
This webinar discusses the first-ever profile of the 30 million immigrant-origin adults in the United States who lack a postsecondary credential such as a college degree, apprenticeship certificate, or occupational license. The researchers discuss their findings and policy implications with leading experts.
More Than a DREAM (Act), Less Than a Promise
The first bill introduced in the 116th Congress to offer a path to legal status to Dreamers, the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019, could legalize nearly 2.7 million, MPI estimates.
Credentials for the Future: Mapping the Potential for Immigrant-Origin Adults in the United States
In 2017, 30 million immigrant-origin adults lacked postsecondary credentials, making them an underserved yet critical target for U.S. upskilling efforts.
Immigrant-Origin Adults without Postsecondary Credentials: A 50-State Profile
A 50-state profile finds 30 million immigrant-origin adults lacked postsecondary credentials in 2017, with English proficiency and legal status key upskilling barriers.
A New Migration Policy for A New Era: A Conversation with Mexico's Interior Secretary Olga Sánchez Cordero
On her first official trip to Washington, DC in the government of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who took office on November 30, Interior Secretary Olga Sánchez Cordero offers remarks on Mexico’s new approach to migration policy.
Executive Power Showdown: Congress and White House Quarrel over Immigration Spending
A standoff over immigration spending in 2019 pit Congress against the White House, reshaping the boundaries of executive enforcement authority.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
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