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]
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Elections Alter the Political Landscape for Immigration Policy Debate
The 2010 Republican midterm sweep stalled federal immigration reform and pointed to a state enforcement wave, even as Hispanic voters proved decisive in key Democratic wins.
Structuring and Implementing an Immigrant Legalization Program: Registration as the First Step
An initial registration phase is central to successful legalization, allowing authorities to identify applicants and manage risks at scale.
Midterm Elections Generate Rush of Immigration Measures
A U.S. Senate vote in 2010 blocked the DREAM Act from advancing, but some proponents turned their hopes to a postelection lame-duck session.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Alan Bersin Discusses His Vision for CBP
Commissioner Bersin details his agenda for his agency and discusses illegal immigration, border enforcement, the impact to the economy on migration flows, the future of the Secure Border Initiative, drug trafficking, and other topics in this wide-ranging conversation with MPI Senior Fellow Doris Meissner and the audience.
The Wind Doesn't Need a Passport: Stories from the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands
Book discussion with Tyche Hendricks, journalist and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism; Andrew Selee, Director of the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute; and Doris Meissner, MPI Senior Fellow and Director of MPI’s U.S. Immigration Policy Program
Obama Administration's Steps Point to Significant Shift in Immigration Enforcement Policy
The Obama administration's shift to prioritize criminal removals via prosecutorial discretion drew Republican charges of “back-door amnesty.”
Federal Judge Blocks Key Provisions of Arizona Law, Setting Stage for Long Legal Battle
A federal judge blocked four key provisions of Arizona's SB 1070 in July 2010; polls showed 64 percent of Americans supported the law.
Focus Remains on Arizona as Justice Department Files Lawsuit against SB 1070
The Justice Department's lawsuit against Arizona's SB 1070 argued federal supremacy, setting it apart from all six other challengers.
DREAM vs. Reality: An Analysis of Potential DREAM Act Beneficiaries
Roughly 2.1 million people could qualify under the 2010 DREAM Act, but only about 825,000 would be likely to obtain permanent legal status.
Marc Rosenblum Testimony Video: Immigration and U.S. Immigration Policy
Testimony of Marc Rosenblum, MPI Senior Policy Analyst, before the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.