E.g., 06/03/2026
E.g., 06/03/2026
NCIIP: Adult and Postsecondary Education

NCIIP: Adult and Postsecondary Education

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Reports
May 2026

Adult English Instruction at Risk: The Threat of Federal Funding Cuts and Potential State Responses

An empty classroom with English language learning posters
iStock.com/Pressmaster

Adult education programs play an important part in helping immigrant adults learn English and, in doing so, integrate into U.S. communities and the workforce. In many states, much of the funding for these programs comes from the federal government. This report examines states’ varied vulnerability to potential funding cuts, as well as opportunities to build stronger, more sustainable programs. 

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Short Reads
January 2026

Trump Administration Actions Jeopardize Decades of Progress in Adult Education and Immigrant Integration

Woman raises hand to ask question in classroom
iStock.com

A move by the Trump administration to limit immigrants' use of federal programs stands to significantly destabilize the U.S. adult education system, which has helped millions of immigrant adults learn English and build foundational skills. In the process, this will harm the White House's stated desire to help immigrants learn English, build skills, and integrate into U.S. society, as this short read outlines. 

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Reports
September 2025

All in for a Thriving Connecticut: Opportunities to Support Upward Mobility for the State’s Immigrant Families

Mother and daughter playing on a playground
iStock.com/Naypong

Immigrants comprise 15 percent of Connecticut’s population, and nearly 30 percent of children in the state are part of immigrant families. Having driven all state population and workforce growth over the last 15 years, immigrants are an important part of Connecticut’s present and its future. This report examines state policies and systems that aim to support upward mobility for all families, highlighting ways in which they could better meet the needs of low-income immigrant families.

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Policy Briefs
March 2025

Set Up for Success: Supporting Immigrant Youth Through the Workforce Development System

Auto mechanics, one young and one old, look at a car engine in a repair shop
iStock.com/FG Trade

Young people’s transition to adulthood has important implications for their long-term career prospects and for the U.S. economy. This policy brief examines how workforce development programs, and particularly the WIOA Youth program, support immigrant youth alongside their U.S.-born peers, noting promising practices as well as persistent challenges in an era when immigrant-origin individuals are driving labor force growth.

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Policy Briefs
October 2023

Leveraging Data to Ensure Equitable and Effective Adult Skills Programming for Immigrants

Adult immigrant students work together in an English class
iStock.com/shironosov

Immigrants make significant contributions to the U.S. economy and social fabric, but many also face barriers to integration. Adult education and workforce development programs offer services intended to help address such challenges yet can be mismatched to immigrants' needs. This issue brief sketches a profile of U.S.-born and immigrant adults, highlighting key similarities and differences relevant to the design of adult skills programs.

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Reports
February 2022

The IELCE Program: Understanding Its Design and Challenges in Meeting Immigrant Learners’ Needs

Immigrant adults working together at a long table in a classroom
iStock.com/lisegagne

U.S. adult education systems have undergone significant changes, including to programs supporting immigrant integration. The creation of the Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) program has sparked the development of innovative initiatives, but also raised concerns about their accessibility and ability to meet immigrant adults’ diverse learning goals and needs.

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Recent Activity

Cover image for Adult English Instruction at Risk
Reports
May 2026
Adult English Instruction at Risk: The Threat of Federal Funding Cuts and Potential State Responses
By  Jacob Hofstetter
Woman raises hand to ask question in classroom
Short Reads
January 2026
Trump Administration Actions Jeopardize Decades of Progress in Adult Education and Immigrant Integration
By  Jacob Hofstetter and Margie McHugh
Cover image for All in for a Thriving Connecticut
Reports
September 2025
All in for a Thriving Connecticut: Opportunities to Support Upward Mobility for the State’s Immigrant Families
By  Margie McHugh, Julia Gelatt, Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh, Katherine Habben, Jacob Hofstetter and Julie Sugarman
Cover image for Set Up for Success: Supporting Immigrant Youth ...
Policy Briefs
March 2025
Set Up for Success: Supporting Immigrant Youth Through the Workforce Development System
By  Jacob Hofstetter
Collection of illustrations related to finance, business, and people working together
Explainers
October 2024
Explainer: Immigrants and the U.S. Economy
By  Julia Gelatt
Cover image for How Immigrants and Their U.S.-Born Children Fit into the Future U.S. Labor Market
Reports
April 2024
How Immigrants and Their U.S.-Born Children Fit into the Future U.S. Labor Market
By  Jeanne Batalova, Julia Gelatt and Michael Fix
Cover image for Leveraging Data...
Policy Briefs
October 2023
Leveraging Data to Ensure Equitable and Effective Adult Skills Programming for Immigrants
By  Jacob Hofstetter and Margie McHugh
Cover image for Shared Gains
Policy Briefs
October 2023
Shared Gains: Immigrant-Origin Students in U.S. Colleges
By  Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
More
Cover image for Adult English Instruction at Risk
Reports
May 2026
Adult English Instruction at Risk: The Threat of Federal Funding Cuts and Potential State Responses
By  Jacob Hofstetter
Cover image for All in for a Thriving Connecticut
Reports
September 2025
All in for a Thriving Connecticut: Opportunities to Support Upward Mobility for the State’s Immigrant Families
By  Margie McHugh, Julia Gelatt, Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh, Katherine Habben, Jacob Hofstetter and Julie Sugarman
Cover image for Set Up for Success: Supporting Immigrant Youth ...
Policy Briefs
March 2025
Set Up for Success: Supporting Immigrant Youth Through the Workforce Development System
By  Jacob Hofstetter
Cover image for How Immigrants and Their U.S.-Born Children Fit into the Future U.S. Labor Market
Reports
April 2024
How Immigrants and Their U.S.-Born Children Fit into the Future U.S. Labor Market
By  Jeanne Batalova, Julia Gelatt and Michael Fix
Cover image for Leveraging Data...
Policy Briefs
October 2023
Leveraging Data to Ensure Equitable and Effective Adult Skills Programming for Immigrants
By  Jacob Hofstetter and Margie McHugh
Cover image for Shared Gains
Policy Briefs
October 2023
Shared Gains: Immigrant-Origin Students in U.S. Colleges
By  Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
Cover image for Recommendations for the Task Force on New Americans
Policy Briefs
March 2023
Recommendations for the Task Force on New Americans
By  Margie McHugh, Jacob Hofstetter, Jeanne Batalova, Michael Fix, Valerie Lacarte, Maki Park, Delia Pompa and Julie Sugarman
Cover image for The Skills and Economic Outcomes of Immigrant and U.S.-Born College Graduates
Fact Sheets
December 2022
The Skills and Economic Outcomes of Immigrant and U.S.-Born College Graduates
By  Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
More
Students and Reading _JMH5036 (1) US Dept of Ed Flickr
Spotlight
November 11, 2016
Language Diversity and English Proficiency in the United States

Although the number of U.S. residents who speak a language other than English has grown in recent decades, the share of those who are Limited English Proficient (LEP) has fallen: 40 percent in 2015, compared to 44 percent in 1980—even as immigration rose rapidly. This article examines growing linguistic diversity in the country and sketches a profile of the LEP population, including size, location, and socioeconomic characteristics.

YoungImmigrantLineUp1 WBEZPeterHolderness Flickr
Feature
August 13, 2015
Origin and Community: Asian and Latin American Unauthorized Youth and U.S. Deportation Relief

This article explores differences in application and renewal rates for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program among unauthorized immigrants from Latin America and Asia. Based on interviews with immigrant advocates and service providers, it appears participation in the deportation relief program may be different among origin groups based on varying perceptions of lack of trust in government and shame over legal status, as well as political barriers.

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Woman raises hand to ask question in classroom
Short Reads
January 2026
Trump Administration Actions Jeopardize Decades of Progress in Adult Education and Immigrant Integration
By  Jacob Hofstetter and Margie McHugh
Group of students studying at a library
Short Reads
August 2023
Investing in the Future: Higher Ed Should Give Greater Focus to Growing Immigrant-Origin Student Population
By  Jeanne Batalova and Miriam Feldblum
Photo of woman walking around a school campus.
Short Reads
November 2021
Narrowing the Skills Gap: Equipping Immigrant-Origin Workers with Postsecondary Credentials
By  Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
BreadforWorld_DACA_3
Short Reads
February 2021
A Deeper Look at the DREAMers Who Could Feature in the Legalization Debate in Congress
By  Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
DREAMERS Justin ValasFlickr
Short Reads
March 2019
More Than a DREAM (Act), Less Than a Promise
By  Julia Gelatt
_DACAterminate
Short Reads
September 2017
All Eyes Turn to Congress, Following Trump Decision to Terminate DACA Program
By  Julia Gelatt
_ImmigrantBusinessLeader2
Short Reads
June 2017
Immigrants and the New Brain Gain: Ways to Leverage Rising Educational Attainment
By  Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
Briya Public Charter School, Washington, DC, Lauren Stoltzfus
Short Reads
December 2016
New Data Resources Can Help Improve Targeting of State Early Childhood and Parent-Focused Programs
By  Margie McHugh
_ImmCleaners4
Short Reads
March 2016
Federal WIOA Plan Requirements Ignore Opportunities to Support Equitable Access for Immigrant/LEP Adults
By  Margie McHugh
Dreamers DREAMActivist RubenHernandez
Short Reads
October 2015
Mapping the Patchwork of State ‘DREAM Acts’ and Postsecondary Education Policies for Unauthorized Immigrant Youth
By  Margie McHugh
More
Collection of illustrations related to finance, business, and people working together
Explainers
October 2024

Explainer: Immigrants and the U.S. Economy

The question of whether immigration represents a net cost or a net benefit to the U.S. economy has been a major source of contention, even as the research literature and thinking among economists has been quite clear. A strong body of research and consensus by most economists finds that immigration, on balance, is a net positive for the U.S. economy. This explainer walks through the issues.

Video, Audio
April 21, 2021

Disparities Facing U.S. Children in Immigrant Families: New Data and Ideas for Indicators to Promote Equity

MPI analysts discuss their analysis comparing key sociodemographic characteristics of immigrant and U.S.-born parents of young and school-age children, along with the two-generational implications of these findings.

2019.5.17 EVENT PHOTO Mexicans in Texas
Video, Audio
May 9, 2019

A Mirror for the Nation? The Changing Profile of Mexican Immigrants in Texas

At this discussion, experts from MPI and Southern Methodist University’s Texas-Mexico Center offer an overview of trends and key characteristics of highly skilled Mexican adults at the national level and for Texas, including educational levels by legal status and top industries of employment across Texas metro areas. They also discuss the policy implications of these findings.

FLICKR Adam Cohn ConstructionWorkers
Video, Audio
March 8, 2019

Upskilling the U.S. Labor Force: Mapping the Credentials of Immigrant-Origin Workers

This webinar discusses the first-ever profile of the 30 million immigrant-origin adults in the United States who lack a postsecondary credential and offers analysis of the significant payoff credentials could bring in terms of workforce participation and wages.

FLICKR the unquiet librarian Musical Book Tasting with Padlet Dr. Melinda Byrne and ESOL Students
Video, Audio
October 30, 2018

Surviving vs. Thriving: The Need for a Paradigm Shift in Adult Education for Immigrants and Refugees

Taking stock of weaknesses in the WIOA-driven design of most adult basic education programming, MPI analysts draw on research from the integration, adult education, and postsecondary success fields in arguing for the adoption of an “English Plus Integration” (EPI) adult education program model, and discuss strategies for implementation. 

2017.2.28 PHOTO Reducing Integration Barriers photo from Upwardly Global
Video, Audio
February 28, 2017

Reducing Integration Barriers Facing Foreign-Trained Immigrants: Policy and Practice Lessons from Across the United States

Marking the release of a report on the barriers foreign-trained high-skilled immigrants face in the United States, this webinar examines programs and initiatives that assist with credential recognition, employment, and relicensure, as well as recent policy developments. Discussants review recommendations for community-based organizations, employers, and policymakers to expand successful efforts aimed at preventing brain waste. 

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Recent Activity

Reports
May 2026

Adult English Instruction at Risk: The Threat of Federal Funding Cuts and Potential State Responses

Adult education programs play an important part in helping immigrant adults learn English and, in doing so, integrate into U.S. communities and the workforce. In many states, much of the funding for these programs comes from the federal government. This report examines states’ varied vulnerability to potential funding cuts, as well as opportunities to build stronger, more sustainable programs. 

Short Reads
January 2026

Trump Administration Actions Jeopardize Decades of Progress in Adult Education and Immigrant Integration

A move by the Trump administration to limit immigrants' use of federal programs stands to significantly destabilize the U.S. adult education system, which has helped millions of immigrant adults learn English and build foundational skills. In the process, this will harm the White House's stated desire to help immigrants learn English, build skills, and integrate into U.S. society, as this short read outlines. 

Reports
September 2025

All in for a Thriving Connecticut: Opportunities to Support Upward Mobility for the State’s Immigrant Families

Immigrants comprise 15 percent of Connecticut’s population, and nearly 30 percent of children in the state are part of immigrant families. Having driven all state population and workforce growth over the last 15 years, immigrants are an important part of Connecticut’s present and its future. This report examines state policies and systems that aim to support upward mobility for all families, highlighting ways in which they could better meet the needs of low-income immigrant families.

Policy Briefs
March 2025

Set Up for Success: Supporting Immigrant Youth Through the Workforce Development System

Young people’s transition to adulthood has important implications for their long-term career prospects and for the U.S. economy. This policy brief examines how workforce development programs, and particularly the WIOA Youth program, support immigrant youth alongside their U.S.-born peers, noting promising practices as well as persistent challenges in an era when immigrant-origin individuals are driving labor force growth.

Explainers
October 2024

Explainer: Immigrants and the U.S. Economy

The question of whether immigration represents a net cost or a net benefit to the U.S. economy has been a major source of contention, even as the research literature and thinking among economists has been quite clear. A strong body of research and consensus by most economists finds that immigration, on balance, is a net positive for the U.S. economy. This explainer walks through the issues.

Reports
April 2024

How Immigrants and Their U.S.-Born Children Fit into the Future U.S. Labor Market

The level of education and training expected of workers in the United States has increased considerably in recent decades, and this trend looks set to continue. This report explores the forces driving this change and how the education levels of immigrant-origin and other workers compare to those likely to be needed in the future U.S. workforce, overall and in key occupational groups.

Policy Briefs
October 2023

Leveraging Data to Ensure Equitable and Effective Adult Skills Programming for Immigrants

Immigrants make significant contributions to the U.S. economy and social fabric, but many also face barriers to integration. Adult education and workforce development programs offer services intended to help address such challenges yet can be mismatched to immigrants' needs. This issue brief sketches a profile of U.S.-born and immigrant adults, highlighting key similarities and differences relevant to the design of adult skills programs.

Policy Briefs
October 2023

Shared Gains: Immigrant-Origin Students in U.S. Colleges

U.S. colleges and universities have seen enrollment fluctuate over the last 20 years, shaped by demographic and economic changes in the United States and shifting views of the value of higher education. This issue brief explores how enrollment trends have played out for immigrants, the children of immigrants, and U.S.-born individuals with U.S.-born parents.

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