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 791–800 of 824 results
NAFTA's Promise and Reality: Lessons from Mexico for the Hemisphere
NAFTA failed to curb unauthorized immigration from Mexico—but the reasons were economic crises, demographics, and social ties, not the trade deal itself.
What Kind of Work Do Immigrants Do? Occupation and Industry of Foreign-Born Workers in the United States
Immigrant workers spanned a wide range of occupations in 2002, but workers from Mexico and Central America were concentrated in construction and other labor-intensive industries.
First Phase of US-VISIT Becomes Operational
The U.S. Visitor and Immigration Status Indication Technology System (US-VISIT) planned to launch at 115 airports in January 2004.
The Foreign Born in the U.S. Labor Force: Numbers and Trends
Immigrants were a growing share of the U.S. workforce, rising from 9 percent in 1990 to 14 percent by 2002. But noncitizens had higher unemployment rates than all other workers.
DHS May Axe Special Registration of Foreign Visitors
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) moved to end Special Registration and President George W. Bush signed expedited military naturalization in 2003.
DHS Secures Funding, Authority in Visa Matters
The U.S. Congress approved a $37.6 billion Homeland Security budget in October 2003, as the agency assumed oversight of visa policy.
Visitor Tracking Technology Faces Obstacles
Key fall 2003 U.S. policy developments included biometric passport delays, a new California driver's license law, and the annual H-1B visa cap falling to 65,000.
Unauthorized Immigration to the United States
An estimated 9 million unauthorized immigrants lived in the United States in 2003, a population growing by about 350,000 annually between 1990 and 1999.
Security Concerns Spur Policy Changes
Fall 2003 U.S. policy changes included suspending visa-free transit programs, new border student visa categories, and extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 2,700 Liberian nationals.
Immigration Since September 11, 2001
After 9/11, nonimmigrant entries fell 15 percent and U.S. refugee admissions hit a 25-year low, even as legal permanent resident numbers held steady.
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Michelle Mittelstadt
202 266 1910 [email protected]