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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A New Proposal to Address U.S. Immigration Future Flow Needs
Report release with MPI Senior Fellow and Director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program; MPI Associate Policy Analyst; MPI Senior Policy Analyst; National Immigration Forum Senior Advisor; and ImmigrationWorks USA President.
E-Verify: An Assessment of its Strengths and Weaknesses
This discussion focused on E-Verify, the federal government's electronic employment verification system, and assessed the program's strengths and weaknesses.
E-Verify: An Assessment of its Strengths and Weaknesses
This discussion focused on E-Verify, the federal government's electronic employment verification system, and the release of an MPI report that assesses the program's strengths and weaknesses.
DHS Rescinds "No-Match" Rule, Moves Forward with E-Verify as It Shifts Enforcement Focus to Employers
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has signaled a turn toward targeting employers rather than unauthorized immigrants in worksite enforcement.
The Next Generation of E-Verify: Getting Employment Verification Right
A redesigned E-Verify employment verification system should boost accuracy and coverage while protecting workers’ rights and limiting burdens on U.S. employers.
Aligning Temporary Immigration Visas with U.S. Labor Market Needs: The Case for a New System of Provisional Visas
This paper outlines MPI’s design of a flexible provisional visa that would tie temporary labor inflows to real-time demand while offering workers who meet clear criteria pathways to stay.
6th Annual Immigration Law & Policy Conference
This conference offered law and policy analysis and discussion on cutting-edge immigration issues. Speakers included Senate Immigration Subcommittee Chairman Charles Schumer and Assistant Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement John Morton.
ICE to Expand New Immigration Enforcement Program in Local Jails
Of approximately 12,000 “criminal aliens” flagged by Secure Communities in its first months, only 862 were the highest-priority Level 1 offenders.
Supreme Court Rules against Charging Unauthorized Immigrants with "Aggravated Identity Theft"
A U.S. law aiming to target hackers and thieves became a major immigration enforcement tool before the Supreme Court unanimously curbed its use against unauthorized workers.
Harnessing the Advantages of Immigration for a 21st-Century Economy: A Standing Commission on Labor Markets, Economic Competitiveness, and Migration
A permanent expert commission using evidence to flexibly guide U.S. employment-based immigration levels would strengthen the country’s economic competitiveness.