U.S. Immigration Policy Program

The U.S. Immigration Policy Program provides analysis of immigration pathways, impacts of enforcement and other policies, and immigrant population characteristics.
Panorama of Washington, DC, including the Washington Monument and Capitol

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.

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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.

Graphic representation of law enforcement personnel taking individuals into custody

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.

Photo of migrants in line at port of entry in Brownsville awaiting possible entry

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.  

Montaje de fotos de los presidentes Sheinbaum y Trump

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.  

Montaje de fotos de los presidentes Sheinbaum y Trump

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.  

President Jimmy Carter at podium

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.

President Biden speaks at state of the union

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.

Migrants and community members at a local clinic in Panama
President Donald Trump signs a bill in the Oval Office

The Trump Administration

Our insights and data on policy changes during the two Trump terms.

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