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 471–480 of 821 results
Unaccompanied Child Migration to the United States: The Tension between Protection and Prevention
U.S. enforcement responses to the 2014 Central American child migration surge cut flows rapidly but left adjudication failures and the root causes of this migration unresolved.
Child and Family Migration to the United States: Continuing Flows and Evolving Responses
A webinar examining the shifting pattern of Central American migration between 2011 and 2014 and expectations for 2015, why inflows in this period present a particularly acute policy challenge, and how states, localities, the U.S. government, and other countries in the region are responding to the crisis.
All Eyes on U.S. Federal Courts as Deferred Action Programs Halted
A court injunction halted DAPA and expanded DACA, leaving deportation relief for up to 5.2 million unauthorized immigrants uncertain.
As Implementation Nears, U.S. Deferred Action Programs Encounter Legal, Political Tests
With up to 5.2 million unauthorized immigrants potentially eligible, 26 states and Congress are seeking to block DACA and DAPA before they take effect.
The County-Level View of Unauthorized Immigrants and Implications for Executive Action Implementation
A webinar showcasing MPI's profiles of unauthorized immigrants in the 94 U.S. counties with the largest populations potentially eligible for DACA or DAPA, and the implications of the data for implementation of the DACA and DAPA programs.
Normalization of Relations with Cuba May Portend Changes to U.S. Immigration Policy
The December 2014 U.S.-Cuba normalization deal put uniquely favorable Cuban immigration policies on uncertain footing, but permanent changes require Congress.
Digging Deeper Into Executive Action: A Further Examination of the Impacts
A discussion of some of the less examined aspects of President Obama's executive actions on immigration, with respect to immigration enforcement, legal immigration, and immigrant integration.
A Detailed Look at the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Nationally and by State
A discussion on detailed new MPI national and state estimates of the unauthorized immigrant population and key sociodemographic characteristics, as well as upcoming policy and political developments at executive and legislative levels.
Immigration Not Decisive in the Midterms, But Results Critical to the Congressional Debate
Republican gains in 2014 U.S. midterm elections did nor resolve questions around immigration.
The Global Boom in Investor Immigration: What Are the Lessons for Policymakers?
A discussion on the extraordinary boom in investor immigration. From the rapidly expanding EB-5 visa in the United States to Malta’s controversial “cash for citizenship” policy and a host of programs across Europe and the Caribbean, governments are increasingly offering residence rights or citizenship to wealthy individuals in return for a significant economic investment.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]