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 511–520 of 824 results
Republican Congressional Leaders Shelve Immigration Reform for 2014
House Republicans' January 2014 immigration principles marked a significant policy shift, but major reform was shelved before it even began.
Managing Borders in North America: Charting the Future
Showcasing MPI’s volume, Managing Borders in an Increasingly Borderless World, this panel discussion offers perspectives on border policy management from leading officials in the United States, Canadian, and Mexican governments
U.S. Immigration Reform Didn't Happen in 2013; Will 2014 Be the Year?
The U.S. Senate passed sweeping immigration reform in June 2013, but House inaction means 2014 is the last window before the legislative clock resets.
IRCA in Retrospect: Guideposts for Today’s Immigration Reform
The statutory design flaws of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, not just implementation failures, enabled the unauthorized population growth it sought to eliminate.
2013 E Pluribus Unum Prizes Awards Ceremony
This awards ceremony honored the 2013 winners of the E Pluribus Unum Prizes, which provides $50,000 prizes to exceptional U.S. immigrant integration initiatives. The awardees took part in a panel discussion with White House and state officials, followed by remarks from Congressman Luis Gutierrez and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar.
Alabama Settlement Marks Near End of a Chapter in State Immigration Enforcement Activism
Alabama's settlement gutting HB 56 marked the end of a period of state omnibus laws targeting unauthorized immigration.
10th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference
The 10th annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference featured keynotes by U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, and panel discussions on the prospects for legislative action, policy options, and political mobilization; lessons learned from past immigration legislation and programs; and an assessment of current conditions at the U.S. border and considerations for future policy.
The Ongoing Challenge of Ensuring Human Rights for Migrants in the European Union and United States
In the wake of the Lampedusa tragedy the Director of the European Agency for Fundamental Rights discussed the state of rights protection in Europe as well as the agency’s role in this evolving arena, while ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project Founder and former National Director, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights President, and U.S. Justice Department Civil Rights Division Senior Counsel discuss the U.S. immigrant-rights movement.
As Immigration Reform Stalls in Congress, Activists Take a Page from the Civil-Rights Movement
Stalled immigration reform sparked a 2013 shift to civil disobedience, with 200 activists and eight members of Congress arrested near the Capitol in a single day.
Newcomers to the Aloha State: A Portrait of Mexicans in Hawaii
Coinciding with Hispanic Heritage Month, panelists presented the findings from an MPI report about the little-known, yet growing, Mexican community in Hawai`i.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]