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
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…
Trump Restrictions on Legal Immigration Could Sharply Reduce U.S. Population Growth
President Donald Trump's second-term curbs on legal immigration, spanning visas, refugees, and family reunification, could meaningfully slow U.S…
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)- General Inquiries
- Media Inquiries
-
Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]
Showing 551–560 of 819 results
Strengthening Health Systems in North and Central America: What Role for Migration?
Nursing shortages across five countries in North and Central America create a regional opportunity to leverage migration strategically for health workforce development.
New DHS Rule Will Help Expedite Permanent Residence for Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens
A 2013 regulation lets immediate relatives of U.S. citizens apply for provisional unlawful presence waivers from within the United States.
Immigration Enforcement in the United States: The Rise of a Formidable Machinery
Release of a major report that describes and analyzes the immigration enforcement system in the United States as it has developed and grown in the quarter century since the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 launched the current era of enforcement.
Immigration Enforcement in the United States: The Rise of a Formidable Machinery
The United States has built a formidable immigration enforcement system, spending nearly $187 billion since 1986—more than on all other principal federal criminal law enforcement combined.
In the Lurch between Government and Chaos: Unconsolidated Democracy in Mexico
Mexico's democratic transition left authoritarian structures intact, allowing organized crime and corruption to fill the governance vacuum and undermine development.
Manufacturing in the United States, Mexico, and Central America: Implications for Competitiveness and Migration
The maquiladora model has masked critical gaps in human capital and innovation, leaving Mexico and Northern Triangle manufacturers unable to move up the value chain.
Deferred Action Program Revives Debate over Driver’s Licenses for Unauthorized Immigrants
DACA's rollout split U.S. states on driver's licenses for unauthorized immigrants, while a years-long decline in such policies showed signs of reversing.
Young Children of Black Immigrants in America: Changing Flows, Changing Faces
This event marked the release of an MPI volume on the children of Black immigrants in the United States, covering topics of education, health, and demographics.
Paying for Crime: A Review of the Relationships between Insecurity and Development in Mexico and Central America
Crime and insecurity in Mexico and Central America divert public and private resources from productive uses and erode the institutional trust essential for economic growth.
U.S. Election Realigns Stars for Immigration Reform, But Significant Hurdles Remain
President Barack Obama's reelection energized bipartisan support for immigration reform that could include legalization for up to 11 million unauthorized immigrants.