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)
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Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]
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The Limits of the Go-It-Alone Approach: U.S. Migration Management Increasingly Requires Other Countries’ Cooperation
As border flows grow more global and diverse, the United States increasingly depends on the cooperation of Mexico and other countries to manage migration.
As Europe and the United States Face Similar Migration Challenges, Spain Can Act as a Bridge
Spain and the United States both receive their greatest number of immigrants from Latin America, and have worked collaboratively together on displacement crises and other migration issues. As shared immigration challenges dominate debate on both sides of the Atlantic, Spain can serve as a vital bridge in the policy conversation, this commentary notes.
Standoff at Eagle Pass: A High-Stakes U.S. Border Enforcement Showdown Comes to a Small Texas Park
Texas's seizure of a federal border zone during the Biden administration escalated a constitutional clash over immigration authority, with long-term implications over the federal-state balance of power.
Outmatched: The U.S. Asylum System Faces Record Demands
A record 3.2 million encounters of migrants at U.S. borders in fiscal year 2023 left the U.S. asylum system struggling to protect those eligible for protection or remove those who are not.
A New Way Forward for Employment-Based Immigration: The Bridge Visa
With the United States facing growing demographic pressures and labor needs, MPI is proposing creation of a bridge visa as a means of bringing flexibility to an employment system last overhauled by Congress in 1990.
Biden at the Three-Year Mark: The Most Active Immigration Presidency Yet Is Mired in Border Crisis Narrative
The Biden administration's record-setting pace of immigration actions increased legal admissions and protections, but record border encounters and a swelling backlog defined the narrative.
Shifting Realities at the U.S.-Mexico Border: Immigration Enforcement and Control in a Fast-Evolving Landscape
Nearly 2.5 million encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal year 2023 exposed a system reacting to rather than managing realities at the border. Real control will require multiagency investment.
Migration at the U.S.-Mexico Border: A Challenge Decades in the Making
Today’s pressures at the U.S.-Mexico border have been decades in the making. A system built to handle Mexican seasonal migration faltered with the arrival of families and asylum seekers from across the hemisphere.
Immigrants’ Eligibility for U.S. Public Benefits: A Primer
The U.S. 1996 welfare law created a complex patchwork of eligibility for federal supports. This 2024 primer maps which categories of immigrants qualify for 13 U.S. public benefit programs and how some states extend coverage.
The Importance of Community Consultations in the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Network
This conversation considered the importance of community consultation in the U.S. refugee resettlement landscape in 2023, and explored actionable steps toward a more inclusive, collaborative, and adaptable process.
