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 781–790 of 824 results
Observations on Regularization and the Labor Market Performance of Unauthorized and Regularized Immigrants
Regularization can raise wages and boost formal employment, but success hinges on program design and whether host-country labor markets can absorb newly legal workers.
Democrats Introduce Immigration Reform Bill
The May 2004 Democratic SOLVE Act proposed permanent legal status for unauthorized immigrants, directly challenging U.S. President George W. Bush's temporary worker framework.
Health Insurance Coverage of the Foreign Born in the United States: Numbers and Trends
Foreign-born residents are far more likely to lack health insurance coverage than the U.S. born. But the longer immigrants live in the United States, the more coverage rates improve.
Post-Sept. 11 Security Fears, Policies Seize Spotlight
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued new detention rules and a government commission declared post-September 11 immigration security measures largely ineffective in spring 2004.
Immigrant Union Members: Numbers and Trends
Immigrant union membership grew 24 percent between 1996 and 2003—even as union representation declined among the U.S. born—raising immigrants' share of the organized workforce.
Policy Changes Target Border Security
In spring 2004, the United States’ H-2B visa cap was hit for the first time; the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also launched a drone-based Arizona border initiative and issued rules for the U.S.-Canada Safe Third Country Agreement.
Bush Boosts Immigration Enforcement in FY 2005 Budget
President George W. Bush's fiscal year 2005 budget doubled worksite enforcement, while the cap of 65,000 U.S. H-1B visas was hit early.
The Department of Homeland Security's First Year: A Report Card on Immigration
One year in, the Department of Homeland Security showed real gains in border and interior enforcement. But its promise was hampered by case backlogs and poor internal coordination.
De la casa natal a la casa propia: inmigración y la posibilidad de ser propietario de vivienda en las zonas urbanas de los Estados Unidos
Los inmigrantes de los años noventa transformaron ciudades estadounidenses, impulsando debates sobre vivienda, mercado laboral, pobreza y revitalización urbana.
International Agreements of the Social Security Administration
Bilateral Social Security agreements eliminate dual taxation and help transnational workers qualify for benefits. This fact sheet examines a possible U.S.-Mexico totalization deal.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]