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 691–700 of 824 results
Congress Addresses Immigration But Appears Unlikely to Pass Piecemeal Bills
Piecemeal immigration bills are advancing in Congress in 2008, but passage looks unlikely amid partisan gridlock.
USCIS Receives 163,000 H-1B Applications for Fiscal Year 2009
Employers filed approximately 163,000 H-1B petitions in five days for fiscal year 2009, more than twice the 65,000 annual cap, forcing a computer lottery to select winners.
Virtual Border Fence Given Mixed Assessment in First Test
The U.S. virtual fence pilot program known as Project 28 had a troubled test run.
USCIS: Backlog in Naturalization Applications Will Take Nearly Three Years to Clear
The U.S. 2007 naturalization surge stretched processing to 16 to 18 months, even as new federal and state rules tightened ID checks and employer sanctions.
Behind the Naturalization Backlog: Causes, Context and Concerns
A surge of naturalization applications in 2007, combined with outdated systems and security checks, produced a sharp backlog threatening timely access to U.S. citizenship.
Arizona Employer Sanctions Law Takes Effect
Arizona's employer sanctions law took effect January 1, 2008, requiring mandatory E-Verify use.
USCIS Faces Criticism over Visa Backlog
Growing application volumes, added security checks, and resource constraints have led to prolonged U.S. visa processing delays.
New York Governor Abandons Driver's Licenses for the Unauthorized
New York Governor Eliot Spitzer abandoned a plan to license unauthorized immigrants, laying bare the limits of state action when federal immigration policy stalls.
Judge Rules against DHS in Social Security "No-Match" Case
Wages and zoning, not immigration enforcement ordinances, pushed nearly one million Mexican immigrants out of Los Angeles between 1980 and 2000.
Social Security 'No-Match' Letters: A Primer
Social Security no-match letters became an immigration enforcement tool under 2007 guidance, a shift that has raised significant legal concerns about worker discrimination.
- General Inquiries
- Media Inquiries
-
Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]