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 421–430 of 824 results
DACA at Four: Participation in the Deferred Action Program and Impacts on Recipients
DACA has delivered economic and social gains to hundreds of thousands of young unauthorized immigrants. But nearly half the eligible population had not applied as of March 2016.
Republican and Democratic Party Platforms Reflect Parallel Universes on Immigration Policy
The 2016 party platforms on immigration diverged sharply, yet a July 2016 poll found more Republicans preferred a path to citizenship than building a border wall or greater deportations.
The Immigration Act of 1990: Unfinished Business a Quarter-Century Later
The Immigration Act of 1990 increased skill-based immigration only marginally, leaving U.S. visa allocation frozen in a 25-year-old design that no longer serves the economy.
Supreme Court DAPA Ruling a Blow to Obama Administration, Moves Immigration Back to Political Realm
The June 2016 Supreme Court split decision on United States v. Texas kept DAPA blocked and shifted decisions on relief for unauthorized immigrants to the future.
Controversial EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program Faces Possibility of Overhaul
The rapid expansion, fraud scandals, and Regional Center controversy of the EB-5 visa program have made it a bipartisan target for overhaul.
U.S. v. Texas Immigration Case May Be Resolved on Narrow Procedural Grounds; Long-Term Future Shifts to Next Administration
In U.S. v. Texas, a divided Supreme Court is weighing standing and “lawful presence” in ways that may leave DAPA’s fate largely to the next administration.
DAPA in the Balance: Supreme Court Arguments and Potential Impacts on U.S. Families and Communities
Experts discuss the U.S. Supreme Court oral argument on the fate of President Obama’s Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents program, along with the potential impacts on immigrant families.
Deferred Action for Unauthorized Immigrants Who Are Parents
Learn what populations could be affected by DAPA, nationally and in top states.
Syrian Refugees Receive Green Light from U.S. Courts, Mixed Reception from States and Congress
U.S. courts, Congress, and presidential candidates clashed over Syrian refugee resettlement, despite rigorous U.S. security screening and limited terrorism cases.
Syrian Refugees in the United States
There has been significant public debate about the admission of Syrian refugees to the United States via the refugee resettlement program.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]