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 311–320 of 824 results
Promoting Refugee Integration in Challenging Times: The Potential of Two-Generation Strategies
Falling arrivals and funding cuts strain U.S. refugee resettlement, but two-generation strategies can deepen whole-family integration without significant new spending.
Trump Administration’s Unprecedented Actions on Asylum at the Southern Border Hit Legal Roadblock
The Trump administration's November 2018 asylum ban barring asylum for migrants who crossed the border illegally was blocked by a federal judge.
Sessions: The Trump Administration’s Once-Indispensable Man on Immigration
In under two years, Attorney General Jeff Sessions limited asylum, stripped immigration judges of key tools, and pushed the immigration court backlog past 1 million cases.
Mexican Migration Flows: From Great Wave to Gentle Stream?
This event focuses on the changing face of Mexican migration to the United States, Mexican immigrants' contributions to U.S. society and political and economic power, as well as that of those who have returned to Mexico.
Settling In: A Profile of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population in the United States
Unauthorized immigrants in the United States are long settled, economically active, and embedded in communities, but significantly poorer than native-born residents.
Gauging the Impact of DHS’ Proposed Public-Charge Rule on U.S. Immigration
The proposed 2018 public-charge rule would put 69 percent of recent green-card recipients at risk of denial and shift legal immigration away from Latin America and toward Europe, MPI estimates.
Asylum Reform, Not Troops, Is the Solution to Current Border Reality
Asylum reform, not the "shock-and-awe" deployment of troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, represents the real path to addressing the current realities of mixed economic and humanitarian migration flows.
Census Citizenship Question Triggers Legal and Political Fallout
Adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census sparked six lawsuits and warnings from the Census Bureau's chief scientist that it would reduce accuracy and raise costs.
15th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference
At a time of intense and fast-moving action on immigration, 2018's Immigration Law and Policy Conference offered an excellent opportunity to go beyond the headlines with thoughtful analysis from leading experts.
The U.S. Asylum System in Crisis: First Steps for Rescue
Faced with a growing case backlog in the U.S. asylum system and seeking to reduce humanitarian protection claims at the U.S.-Mexico border, the Trump administration has made efforts to narrow access to asylum. On this webinar, experts discuss findings from a report that explores the factors that have brought the system to a crisis point and steps that can be made to restore it.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]