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 351–360 of 824 results
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.
The Diversity Visa Program Holds Lessons for Future Legal Immigration Reform
Half of Diversity Visa recipients coming to the United States in recent years have a college degree, belying claims the program only brings in the low-skilled.
A Path to Citizenship for 1.8 Million Dreamers? Despite Talk, No Proposal Would Do So
Despite talk of legalizing 1.8 million Dreamers, none of the Senate bills considered in 2018 would have put that number on a path to citizenship, according to MPI estimates.
Estimating the DREAMer Populations That Could Benefit under Senate Legalization Proposals, February 2018
MPI estimates provide a sense of who could potentially gain legal status under the various DREAM Act-type bills considered in the Senate in February 2018.
Shifting Gears, Trump Administration Launches High-Profile Worksite Enforcement Operations
Chile's immigrant population quadrupled over two decades, outpacing every other country in Latin America and stoking backlash and a rightward political shift.
In the Age of Trump: Populist Backlash and Progressive Resistance Create Divergent State Immigrant Integration Contexts
U.S. states are diverging sharply on enforcement, health access, and education in response to federal immigration changes, widening integration gaps for immigrants and refugees.
Trump’s First Year on Immigration Policy: Rhetoric vs. Reality
During its first year, the Trump administration sought to cancel DACA, Temporary Protected Status, and refugee protections, but the border wall stalled in Congress and courts.
The Trump Immigration Plan: A Lopsided Proposal
The Trump administration would trade a path to legal status for up to 1.8 million Dreamers in exchange for sweeping immigration enforcement and deep cuts to family immigration.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
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