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 491–500 of 821 results
Diploma, Please: Promoting Educational Attainment for DACA- and Potential DREAM Act-Eligible Youth
This report examines how state policies, school supports, and affordability shape education outcomes for DACA- and potential DREAM Act-eligible youth.
The Stalemate over Unaccompanied Minors Holds Far-Reaching Implications for Broader U.S. Immigration Debates
Congress's fight over funding for unaccompanied Central American minors could reshape U.S. immigration politics.
Giving Cities and Regions a Greater Voice in Immigration Policy
MPI researchers and representatives from London and Detroit discuss the policies and strategies used—both at national and local levels—to attract immigrants into local economies and the challenges faced in doing so.
Giving Cities and Regions a Greater Voice in Immigration Policy
MPI researchers and representatives from London and Detroit discuss the policies and strategies used—at national and local levels—to attract immigrants into local economies.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) at Two: New MPI Findings as Renewal Approaches
A discussion of MPI's estimates on the size of the DACA population nationally and for 25 key states, as well as application rates and analysis of the program’s challenges and achievements.
DACA at the Two-Year Mark: A National and State Profile of Youth Eligible and Applying for Deferred Action
By July 2014, 55 percent of immediately eligible DACA youth had applied. But cost barriers, education gaps, and limited outreach kept hundreds of thousands from enrolling.
Unaccompanied Minors: A Crisis with Deep Roots and No Simple Solutions
This telebriefing by Doris Meissner and Marc Rosenblum of MPI examines factors behind the flow of unaccompanied children from Central America and Mexico to the United States, which has surged 90 percent since last year. The talk also previews a policy brief on unaccompanied minors that MPI will release in July.
Detained or Deported: How Parents in the Immigration Enforcement System Can Protect their Children
A discussion on policies regarding immigrant parent detentions and deportations, related child protection issues, and the implications for the immigration enforcement and child welfare systems. This event is also the release of a related Women's Refugee Commission toolkit for detained or deported parents and those who work on the issue.
Dramatic Surge in the Arrival of Unaccompanied Children Has Deep Roots and No Simple Solutions
A surge of Central American unaccompanied children is straining U.S. systems.
What Is the Right Policy Toward Unaccompanied Children at U.S. Borders?
With 60,000 unaccompanied children expected at U.S. borders in fiscal year 2014, MPI outlines a multipart policy plan that balances enforcement with humanitarian protection.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
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