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 591–600 of 824 results
Post-9/11 Policies Dramatically Alter the U.S. Immigration Landscape
U.S. counterterrorism tools built after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks have increasingly been used to apprehend and remove unauthorized immigrants.
Through the Prism of National Security: Major Immigration Policy and Program Changes in the Decade since 9/11
What were the most significant changes that occurred in the immigration arena in the decade since the September 11, 2001 attacks? This conversation explored.
Justice Department Sues Alabama over Nation's Most Severe State-Level Immigration Law
The U.S. Department of Justice sued to block Alabama's HB 56 for criminalizing housing and transportation of unauthorized immigrants and requiring schools to report enrollment.
U.S. Immigration Policy and Mexican/Central American Migration Flows: Then and Now
Migration from Mexico and Central America has surged and diversified since the 1970s, while U.S. policy choices since 1965 built unauthorized flows that now constrain reforms.
Through the Prism of National Security: Major Immigration Policy and Program Changes in the Decade since 9/11
Since 9/11, U.S. immigration has been reshaped around national security, with the creation of DHS, expanded data sharing, nationality-based screening, and higher enforcement.
U.S. Immigration Policy since 9/11: Understanding the Stalemate over Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Post‑9/11 enforcement expansions, partisan polarization, and complex trade‑offs have stalled comprehensive U.S. immigration reform.
Labor Standards Enforcement and Low-Wage Immigrants: Creating an Effective Enforcement System
This webinar discusses labor enforcement laws during the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations and chronicles gaps in labor protection, while also discussing the elements necessary for an effective labor standards enforcement system and why labor standards enforcement should become a pillar of immigration policymaking.
Labor Standards Enforcement and Low-Wage Immigrants: Creating an Effective Enforcement System
Targeted U.S. labor standards enforcement would better protect low-wage immigrants, curb unauthorized employment, and level the playing field for law-abiding employers.
The Economic Integration of Immigrants in the United States: Long- and Short-Term Perspectives
Immigrants have long integrated economically through the U.S. labor market, but the 2007–09 recession and weaker growth may slow mobility and increase vulnerability.
Supreme Court Upholds Legal Arizona Workers Act with Limited Implications for Other State Immigration Laws
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld Arizona's employer-sanctions law, but analysts suggest the ruling may not impact rulings on SB 1070-style enforcement measures.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]