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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Push for Comprehensive Immigration Reform Grows, But Several Obstacles Remain
With broad U.S. immigration reform stalled by the recession, the bipartisan DREAM Act emerged as the most viable path for many of the nation's 12 million unauthorized immigrants.
Signs of Change in Immigration Enforcement Policies Emerging From DHS
The Obama administration moved in 2009 to refocus the 287(g) program on immigrants with criminal convictions, signaling a shift from Bush-era enforcement priorities.
Obama Administration Signals It May Review a Number of Bush Immigration Policies
Funding for the U.S. National Fugitive Operations Program grew to $218 million by 2008, although 73 percent of those arrested had no criminal record.
Collateral Damage: An Examination of ICE's Fugitive Operations Program
ICE's fugitive operations program arrests mostly low priority noncriminals instead of the dangerous fugitives it was created to target.
DHS and Immigration: Taking Stock and Correcting Course
The Department of Homeland Security's immigration system remains fragmented six years into its existence, spurring the need for clearer roles and stronger oversight.
Impending Deadlines on a Number of Immigration Decisions Await Obama
A range of difficult immigration decisions await the incoming Obama administration.
Obama's Homeland Security Selection Viewed as Focused on Immigration
Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano's centrist record on immigration left policy experts speculating about the future of U.S. enforcement under the Obama administration.
Mandatory Verification in the States: A Policy Research Agenda
Laws requiring mandatory employment verification in selected states create a critical opportunity to study how employer enforcement reshapes immigration control.
Hispanic Vote Goes for Obama But May Not Lead to Quick Action on Immigration Reform
In 2008, 67 percent of Hispanic voters backed U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, yet Congress was seen as unlikely to act on immigration reform.
Unauthorized Immigration Declining, But Experts Disagree on Why
Unauthorized immigration to the United States fell sharply after 2005, but whether enforcement or the slowing economy deserves credit remained hotly contested.