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 451–460 of 821 results
What's New in Farm Labor? Immigration and the Agricultural Sector
An expert discussion on the findings of the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS) related to immigrants, along with an overview of farm labor in 2015 and discussion on how current and possible future immigration policies might impact immigrant workers in the agricultural sector.
Fierce Opposition, Court Rulings Place Future of Family Immigration Detention in Doubt
Court rulings and advocacy have raised new questions about the future of U.S. family immigration detention.
Regional Enforcement: A Profile of Migrants Deported from the United States and Mexico to the Northern Triangle
Marking the release of an MPI report, speakers on this webinar present an overview of regional immigration enforcement trends, including U.S. and Mexican apprehensions and deportations of both children and adults, along with a demographic, socioeconomic, and criminal profile of child and adult deportees.
Migrants Deported from the United States and Mexico to the Northern Triangle: A Statistical and Socioeconomic Profile
Mexico is intercepting more northern Central American migrants before the U.S. border. But shifting flows without addressing root causes is not a lasting solution.
Health and Social Service Needs of U.S.-Citizen Children with Detained or Deported Immigrant Parents
U.S.-citizen children of deported parents face cascading harm—hardship, mental health crises, and instability. Schools represent the most trusted site for delivering services.
Implications of Immigration Enforcement Activities for the Well-Being of Children in Immigrant Families: A Review of the Literature
Parental deportation inflicts trauma and family dissolution on children of unauthorized immigrants. For many, health and social services remain structurally out of reach.
Sanctuary Cities Come Under Scrutiny, As Does Federal-Local Immigration Relationship
The killing of Kathryn Steinle exposed deep fractures in federal-local immigration enforcement and thrust sanctuary policies into the 2016 presidential campaign.
The Unauthorized Population in the United States: New Data Trends
Marking the release of a report examining recent trends regarding the unauthorized immigrant population in the United States at national, state, and county levels, this webinar answers the questions of which countries the unauthorized are from, where they have settled in the United States, and how these patterns have changed over the last two decades.
DACA at Three: New Data on Potential Applicants and Analysis of the Renewal Process
On this webinar, MPI experts provide data on characteristics of the potential applicant pool for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and examine who is signing up for DACA renewal. The webinar also focuses on some of the administrative difficulties surrounding the renewal program.
In-Country Processing in Central America: A Piece of the Puzzle
The Central American Minors program provides eligible northern Central American minors a legal alternative to dangerous migration, but historical precedent suggests limited reach.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]