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 731–740 of 824 results
Senate Debate Resumes and DHS Boosts Internal Enforcement
The 2006 Hagel-Martinez immigration bill in the U.S. Senate proposed 325,000 annual temporary work visas and tiered legalization for unauthorized immigrants as of spring 2006.
Senate Debates Temporary Worker Program and Path to Legal Status for the Unauthorized
A March 2006 U.S. Senate bill proposed 400,000 annual temporary work slots and legalization for unauthorized immigrants as hundreds of thousands rallied in support.
Bush Calls for Worksite Enforcement Funding in 2007, Senate Poised to Debate Immigration Reform
U.S. President George W. Bush's fiscal 2007 budget requested $135 million for employment verification and 1,500 new Border Patrol agents.
Bush Immigration Appointees, Immigration Judges Criticized
U.S. President George W. Bush used recess appointments for immigration posts.
Countering Terrorist Mobility: Shaping an Operational Strategy
Making terrorist mobility a central U.S. counterterrorism focus will require better management and coordination across intelligence, border, and immigration agencies.
House Passes Enforcement Bill Lacking Temporary Worker Program
The U.S. House passed an enforcement-only immigration bill in December 2005; its lack of a temporary worker provision made Senate passage unlikely.
The Growing Connection Between Temporary and Permanent Immigration Systems
While the temporary and permanent immigration systems are meant to be separate, temporary visas increasingly serve as a pathway to a green card in a de facto third admissions system.
U.S. Employment-Based Admissions: Permanent and Temporary
The U.S. employment-based immigration system, permanent and temporary, falls short in responding to changing market conditions and is out of sync with companies’ hiring cycles.
Comprehensive Legislation vs. Fundamental Reform: The Limits of Current Immigration Proposals
Comprehensive immigration reform plans advanced by Congress and the George W. Bush administration contained shortcomings and would not materially change the immigration regime.
Temporary Worker Programs: A Patchwork Policy Response
U.S. temporary worker programs often lead to permanent stays and send mixed messages to employers and workers alike about program intentions.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]