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
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…
In Its Second Term, Trump Administration Quietly Expands Family Separation
Immigration enforcement during the second Trump term is driving a quieter, more diffuse wave of family separations inside the United States, often…
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…
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)Showing 731–740 of 821 results
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.
Bush Immigration Appointees, Immigration Judges Criticized
U.S. President George W. Bush used recess appointments for immigration posts.
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.
Blurring the Lines: A Profile of State and Local Police Enforcement of Immigration Law Using NCIC Database
A first glimpse at use of federal records by local police raised critical questions about the blurring of lines between criminal law enforcement and civil immigration enforcement.
President Bush Pushes for Increased Enforcement and a Temporary Worker Program
MPI’s Julia Gelatt reports on Bush's latest immigration reform speeches in Arizona and Texas, new proposals for immigration reform, calls for the merger of immigration agencies, and more.
An Idea Whose Time Has Finally Come? The Case for Employment Verification
This brief argues the time is right to build a reliable, automated U.S. employment verification system that is mandatory for all employers.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
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