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 741–750 of 824 results
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.
Immigration Enforcement Spending Since IRCA
U.S. immigration enforcement spending more than quadrupled between 1985 (the year before the Immigration Reform and Control Act was passed) and 2002, with 60 percent aimed at the border.
Eligible to Work? Experiments in Verifying Work Authorization
The Basic Pilot employment verification program was promising but flawed, with compliance gaps. It can only achieve its goals if made mandatory, but reassessment is first needed.
U.S. Border Enforcement: From Horseback to High-Tech
This brief traces a century of U.S. border enforcement, from low-tech horse patrol to billion-dollar operations, and questions whether the massive investment has achieved its aims.
Bush Puts Immigration Reform Back on Agenda, Approves Funding for DHS
The Bush administration outlined a three-part immigration reform plan in October 2005 and signed a $30.8 billion Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill for FY 2006.
Immigration Enforcement at the Worksite: Making it Work
Systemic flaws exist in the U.S. employer sanctions regime, making critical reforms, including a real-time employment verification system, necessary.
Documentation Provisions of the Real ID Act
The REAL ID Act's identity document mandates carry steep, disputed costs and raise unresolved legal, privacy, and humanitarian concerns.
Legal Immigration to United States Up from Last Year
Legal immigration to the United States increased by one-third between fiscal years 2003 and 2004, even as refugee and temporary admissions largely rebounded to near pre-9/11 levels.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
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