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 371–380 of 821 results
All Eyes Turn to Congress, Following Trump Decision to Terminate DACA Program
President Donald Trump's 2017 decision to end DACA passes the onus to Congress, as roughly 790,000 recipients face loss of work authorization and deportation protection.
Why Hide the Facts About Refugee Costs and Benefits?
A government report suppressed by the Trump White House found refugees generated $63 billion more in revenue than costs over 2005 to 2014, undermining claims of fiscal burden.
The U.S. Falls Behind as Others Take on New Leadership Amid Record Humanitarian Pressures
With the Trump administration setting refugee resettlement at a record low in fiscal year 2018, Canada, Australia, and Norway increased their resettlement commitments.
The RAISE Act: Dramatic Change to Family Immigration, Less So for the Employment-Based System
The Trump-endorsed RAISE Act would halve legal immigration by slashing family categories and introduce a points system, while changing employment-based immigration less than anticipated.
Juan Osuna: A Tribute to an Indispensable Person
MPI Senior Fellow Doris Meissner pays tribute to Juan Osuna, longtime Director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review, who died shortly after retiring in 2017.
Immigration and Farm Labor: From Unauthorized to H-2A for Some?
Slowing Mexico-U.S. migration is aging the U.S. farm workforce and driving H-2A visa usage growth.
The Education and Work Profiles of the DACA Population
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients hold higher-skilled jobs and more education than unauthorized peers—gains DACA program termination would largely reverse.
The Trump Administration at Six Months: A Sea Change in Immigration Enforcement
In a sharp departure from the Obama administration, the first six months of the first Trump term shifted immigration enforcement practices and generated deep anxiety among some immigrant communities.
MPI Estimates of Who Might Benefit under 2017 DREAM Act Bills in Congress
Learn which unauthorized immigrant populations could potentially be covered under the DREAM Act.
Strengthening Mexico’s Protection of Central American Unaccompanied Minors in Transit
Mexico's child protection framework for unaccompanied Central American minors is undermined by screening gaps, detention conditions, and near-zero asylum rates.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
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