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 41–50 of 821 results
ICE Arrests and Deportations from the U.S. Interior
Learn how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement works within the U.S. interior, identifying people for arrest, detention, and removal.
Arrestos y deportaciones de ICE desde el interior de Estados Unidos
Esta guía explicativa tiene respuestas a preguntas comunes sobre la función del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés) de EE. UU., en la identificación de personas para arresto, detención, y deportación.
The Unauthorized Immigrant Population Expands amid Record U.S.-Mexico Border Arrivals
The U.S. unauthorized immigrant population stood at 13.7 million as of mid-2023. The result of strong U.S. economic recovery from the pandemic and displacement in Latin America, the increase in the size of the unauthorized population is accompanied by a diversifying makeup in nationalities. As Mexico's share of the overall unauthorized population has declined, the shares from Central and South America, in particular, have increased.
Amid Tariff Threats, Migration Management Is Key to the Evolving Trump-Sheinbaum Relationship
The Trump administration is threatening tariffs on Mexico to achieve migration management aims, as it did in 2019. The landscape is far different in 2025, though. Mexican cooperation is at far higher levels than in 2019 and Mexico is essential to many of the Trump border goals—giving it greater leverage than before. Negotiations that recognize both countries' goals, capacities, and legal frameworks are essential to effective outcomes, this short read argues.
Entre amenazas arancelarias, la gestión de la migración es clave para la evolución de la relación Trump-Sheinbaum
La administración Trump amenaza con imponer aranceles a México para lograr sus objetivos de gestión migratoria, como lo hizo en 2019. Sin embargo, el panorama es muy diferente en 2025. La cooperación mexicana para el control migratorio alcanza niveles mucho más altos que en 2019, lo que le otorga mayor influencia que antes. Este Foco analítico sostiene que las negociaciones que reconozcan los objetivos y las capacidades de ambos países son esenciales para lograr resultados efectivos.
With “Shock and Awe,” the Second Trump Term Opens with a Bid to Strongly Reshape Immigration
The Trump administration's second term opened with an unprecedented sweep of executive actions focused on mass deportations and border shutdowns, although hurdles await.
Jimmy Carter and Immigration: A Wide-Ranging Legacy That Remains Relevant Today
The passing of the nation’s 39th president has sparked numerous assessments of the Carter presidency, yet few have focused on the wide-ranging legacy that Jimmy Carter left in the immigration realm. The Carter presidency illustrates the long history of authorities that remain in use today, including parole and creation of lawful pathways to admit people in orderly ways, and the persistent roots of issues such as spontaneous migration from the Caribbean.
The Biden Legacy on Immigration: A Complex Picture
What was the Biden record on border management, legal immigration, refugee resettlement, and other immigration aspects? Speakers assessed the Biden legacy and discussed MPI's analysis of the administration’s actions on immigration.
Biden’s Mixed Immigration Legacy: Border Challenges Overshadowed Modernization Advances
The Biden presidency combined historic highs in legal admissions and naturalizations with record border arrivals, overwhelmed agencies, and political damage.
Legal Pathways and Enforcement: What the U.S. Safe Mobility Strategy Can Teach Europe about Migration Management
The Biden administration's ambitious migration management strategy, which combined increased regional cooperation and expanded lawful pathways with a more orderly system for border arrivals, eventually led to a significant drop in irregular migration to the U.S.-Mexico border. The strategy holds promise for governments in Europe also tackling mixed migration flows—however sequencing matters, among other lessons.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
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