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 321–330 of 824 results
Trump Administration’s New Indefinite Family Detention Policy: Deterrence Not Guaranteed
Proposed to deter Central American families, indefinite family detention faces major legal hurdles. And it may not slow unauthorized arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Homelands: Four Friends, Two Countries and the Fate of the Great Mexican-American Migration
A book discussion with author Alfredo Corchado and experts on the nature of U.S.-Mexico immigration and the role of Mexican migrants in the United States.
A Profile of Houston’s Diverse Immigrant Population in a Rapidly Changing Policy Landscape
Houston's 1.6 million immigrants as of 2016 faced compounding uncertainty as enforcement expands and humanitarian protections narrow.
The U.S. Asylum System in Crisis: Charting a Way Forward
The U.S. asylum system's growing backlog demands administrative reforms and necessary funding, not just enforcement restrictions, to restore timely, fair protection.
People Leave Footprints: Millions More Unauthorized Immigrants Cannot Be ‘Hidden’ in Data Estimates
An academic study claiming the U.S. unauthorized immigrant population could be as high as 29.5 million was based on flawed methods, this commentary explains.
Once Relatively Obscure, ICE Becomes a Lightning Rod in Immigration Debate
Created in 2003, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) went from a little-known enforcement agency to one at the center of the U.S. immigration debate.
Shifting Tides: Radical-Right Populism and Immigration Policy in Europe and the United States
Radical-right populism has reshaped immigration debates in Europe and the United States—but has operated mainly through agenda influence, not direct governance.
Through the Back Door: Remaking the Immigration System via the Expected “Public-Charge” Rule
Nearly half of all green-card applicants could be deemed a public charge under a Trump administration rule expected to be unveiled soon, potentially significantly reshaping family-based legal immigration.
Tapping the Talents of Highly Skilled Immigrants in the United States: Takeaways from Experts Summit
Brain waste costs the United States roughly $10 billion in forgone taxes each year, and reducing the underemployment of college-educated immigrants requires coordinated action.
Cambios en el Panorama de Control Migratorio Interno Durante la Administración Trump
Un seminario en el que se analiza el funcionamiento del actual sistema de control en el interior del país y cómo están respondiendo los gobiernos estatales y locales, la sociedad civil y los consulados.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]