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
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Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]
Showing 561–570 of 819 results
Border Insecurity in Central America's Northern Triangle
Border insecurity in northern Central America reflects chronic state neglect, not just trafficking. Governance-centered solutions, more than border controls, are necessary.
Transnational Crime in Mexico and Central America: Its Evolution and Role in International Migration
The growth of organized crime in Mexico and Central America has sharply increased risks for migrants crossing the region, who face kidnapping, extortion, and rape.
Same-Sex Partners Steadily Gain Recognition in Immigration Benefits
U.S. federal law blocked immigration benefits for same-sex couples in 2012, even as the Obama administration issued formal workarounds.
9th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference
The conference features discussion on current immigration policy issues by senior officials from U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, immigration law experts, state officials, and immigration advocates.
New Approaches to Migration Management in Mexico and Central America
Mexico's 2011 Migration Law marked a turning point in managing Central American transit migration. But conditions on the ground still fall well short of politicians’ migrant-rights rhetoric.
Platforms and Conventions Reveal Deep Divide on Immigration Between GOP, Dems
U.S. Republican and Democratic platforms in 2012 differed sharply on DACA, state enforcement, and unauthorized immigration.
The Economic Value of Citizenship for Immigrants in the United States
Naturalized U.S. citizens earn up to 70 percent more than noncitizens, yet cost and language barriers leave an estimated 8 million eligible immigrants without citizenship.
Key Factors, Unresolved Issues in New Deferred Action Program for Immigrant Youth Will Determine Its Success
As DACA launched in August 2012, unresolved questions threatened to determine the program's reach and success.
The New Deferred Action Program: Strategies for Success
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas discusses the implementation of the new deferred action program, followed by a panel discussion with National Immigration Law Center Executive Director, DHS Former Principal Deputy General Counsel, and MPI analysts.
Central American Development: Two Decades of Progress and Challenges for the Future
Central America's transformation into stable democracies and global exporters is threatened by persistent inequality, rising violence, and climate vulnerability.