Program

U.S. Immigration Policy Program

The U.S. Immigration Policy Program provides analysis of immigration pathways, impacts of enforcement and other policies, and immigrant population characteristics.

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.

Commentary July 29, 2026

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…

People at a pedestrian crosswalk crossing the street

Policy Beat July 30, 2026

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…

A silhouette of a young child looking sad and alone

Commentary May 2026

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…

Male and female business professionals gathered at a conference table

Policy Beat May 28, 2026

Attacked as "De Facto Amnesty," U.S. Temporary Protected Status Is Abruptly Eroded

A woman wearing scrubs in a health-care setting reviews a chart

Commentary March 2026

U.S. Third-Country Deportation Agreements Are More About Fear than Numbers

Image of unauthorized immigrant in shackles entering plane for deportation flight

Policy Beat April 29, 2026

Though Rare, Birth Tourism to the United States Sparks Outsized Concern

Fact Sheet February 2026

A Profile of the Growing Black Immigrant Population in the United States

A Black female nurse in blue scrubs walking outside

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)

A line of people with their hands up taking the oath during a U.S. citizenship ceremony

Get Timely U.S. Immigration Analysis

The monthly U.S. Policy Beat covers, in brief, top developments at U.S., state, and local levels, and in the courts.

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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.

Top industry of employment for unauthorized workers by state

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.