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 601–610 of 824 results
Mexican and Central American Immigrants in the United States
Mexican and Central American immigrants are central to the U.S. labor force yet experience lower educational attainment, higher poverty, and more legal vulnerability.
DHS Announces End to Controversial Post-9/11 Immigrant Registration and Tracking Program
The Obama administration in 2011 ended a post-9/11 registration program that targeted nationals of 25 mostly Muslim-majority countries.
Immigrants in the United States: How Well Are They Integrating into Society?
Across multiple indicators, contemporary immigrants and their children are integrating at least as fast as prior waves to the United States, though gaps remain for some groups.
Evolving Demographic and Human-Capital Trends in Mexico and Central America and Their Implications for Regional Migration
Shifts in demographics and education in Mexico and Central America, combined with high U.S. unemployment, challenge past assumptions about future regional migration.
8th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference
This conference featured immigration law and policy analysis by representatives from states and localities such as Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Prince William County (VA) Police Chief Charlie Deane, and a range of other government officials, practitioners, and immigration law experts.
8th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference
The conference offered law and policy analysis and discussion on cutting-edge immigration issues. Featured panelists included high-ranking government officials, academics, advocates, and other immigration experts.
Appeals Court Rules against Arizona Law as Immigration Measures Lose Steam in State Legislatures
As a U.S. appeals court blocked key SB 1070 provisions in 2011, state legislatures in multiple states abandoned similar enforcement bills.
Doris Meissner Testimony Video: Securing the Border
Doris Meissner, Director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at MPI, offers her knowledge and expertise regarding border security in this testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Lessons from the 2007 Legal Arizona Workers Act
Discussion on new Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) report with PPIC Research Fellows; Bruce A. Morrison, Former U.S. Congressman from Connecticut (1983-1991) and Chair of the Immigration Subcommittee; and Marc Rosenblum, MPI Senior Policy Analyst.
Unanswered Questions Surround ICE's Secure Communities Program
The U.S. Secure Communities program operated in 1,080 jurisdictions in 2011.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
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