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 341–350 of 821 results
Family Immigration Policy and Trends: How the United States Compares to Other Countries
On this webinar, MPI analysts compare U.S. policy on family migration to those in Canada as well as Australia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. This webinar features the findings of an issue brief, focused on these countries' trends and data on immigrant admissions, along with a data tool modeling possible cuts to U.S. legal immigration.
It’s Relative: A Crosscountry Comparison of Family-Migration Policies and Flows
Family admissions dominate immigration across all nine countries studied, and backlogs of up to 30 years show that formal reunification rights often fail in practice.
Even as Congress Remains on Sidelines, the Trump Administration Slows Legal Immigration
Bypassing Congress, which has been silent on changes to the U.S. immigration system for decades, the Trump administration is slowing legal immigration through regulatory change.
Immigration Data Matters: How to Find the Most Accurate Resources
At this release of an updated version of the popular Immigration Data Matters guide, presenters discuss how to navigate and access the increasing number of data sources on immigration and immigrants in the United States and internationally.
State and Local Labor Standards Enforcement in Immigrant-Dense Industries
Marking the release of an MPI report, this discussion focuses on the dynamics in low-wage workplaces and immigration law that have contributed to systematic violations of labor standards and explores new and effective enforcement strategies that state and local governments across the United States are utilizing.
Strategic Leverage: Use of State and Local Laws to Enforce Labor Standards in Immigrant-Dense Occupations
Immigrants experience labor violations at twice the rate of U.S.-born workers. State and local governments have unique tools to fill the enforcement gap left by federal retreat.
Evolution of the H-1B: Latest Trends in a Program on the Brink of Reform
The H-1B program is far larger than its 85,000-visa cap implies, and a sharp wage and skills gap between dependent and non-dependent employers is fueling pressure for reform.
The Impact of Immigration Enforcement Policies On Teaching and Learning in America’s Public Schools
In an era of stepped-up immigration enforcement, speakers at this event present their research on the impact of enforcement policies on children from immigrant families and U.S. public schools.
Trump Administration Ratchets up Pressure on “Sanctuary” Jurisdictions
After courts blocked the Trump administration’s 2017 order cracking down on “sanctuary” cities, the Justice Department turned to other authorities.
The End of TPS: Policy Options, Social Impacts
Following the Trump administration’s January 2018 decision not to renew Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadorans, MPI, the Inter-American Dialogue, and FUSADES hosted a panel discussion to consider the impacts of terminating TPS for these long-time U.S. residents, including the likely effects on the economy, migration, and criminal violence. Speakers also explored related policy options.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
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