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
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…
Trump Restrictions on Legal Immigration Could Sharply Reduce U.S. Population Growth
President Donald Trump's second-term curbs on legal immigration, spanning visas, refugees, and family reunification, could meaningfully slow U.S…
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)- General Inquiries
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Michelle Mittelstadt
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Showing 81–90 of 819 results
Antiquated U.S. Immigration System Ambles into the Digital World
Pandemic-era digital reforms gave the U.S. immigration system a long-overdue modernization boost.
Immigration and Integration in the Ever More Diverse Houston Area
Immigrants help power Houston’s economy. Yet 67,000 college-educated immigrants are underemployed and integration services lag the region’s rapid diversification.
The Unmet Potential of Community Consultations in U.S. Refugee Resettlement
U.S. refugee resettlement consultations with receiving communities fall short of their potential, hampered by the narrowness of their scope and limited meaningful dialogue.
The U.S.-Mexico Border Problem Will Not Be “Solved” Until All Parts of the Border Enforcement System Are Properly Resourced
The $13.6 billion border emergency supplemental spending bill the Biden administration is seeking lays out the elements for resourcing immigration functions to full capacity across the entire border enforcement system. Without resourcing the system across all its parts, including adjudications and management, no administration, present or future, will be able to effectively manage spontaneous border arrivals, this commentary argues.
Can the Biden Immigration Playbook Be Effective for Managing Arrivals via Sea?
Caribbean maritime arrivals to the United States hit the highest levels since the 1990s; the Biden administration is betting on legal pathways and regional cooperation to curb dangerous sea crossings.
Shared Gains: Immigrant-Origin Students in U.S. Colleges
Immigrant-origin students represent a growing share of U.S. college enrollment, rising from one in five pupils in 2000 to one in three as of 2021—cushioning overall enrollment declines.
Addressing the Next Displacement Crisis in the Making in the Americas
The next major displacement of people in the Americas is in the making, and it is going unnoticed. The response to the steady emigration from Haiti seen since a devastating 2010 earthquake has been largely haphazard and may not stand the test of new spikes as the country unravels further. This commentary suggests a way forward, based on a model used for the Venezuelan displacement crisis.
Shifting Patterns and Policies Reshape Migration to U.S.-Mexico Border in Major Ways in 2023
There is a deeper story behind the U.S. government's fiscal 2023 border encounters numbers than that the year marked a new record high. The pivot from the pandemic-era Title 42 expulsions policy and sharp diversification in nationalities have reshaped migrant arrivals unlike any year before. This commentary goes beyond the headlines to focus on the more enduring—and challenging—realities occuring at the U.S.-Mexico border.
New York and Other U.S. Cities Struggle with High Costs of Migrant Arrivals
Record migrant arrivals have pushed U.S. cities to spend billions on shelter and services as federal aid falls far short and work authorization lags.
The Power of Refugee Sponsorship: A Sponsor’s Story
An immigration lawyer in a small Minnesota farming town formed one of the first groups to sponsor a refugee family under the new U.S. Welcome Corps program, and this is what she learned.