U.S. Immigration Policy Program

Commentaries

June 2022

The Los Angeles Declaration Could Represent a Big Step for Real Migration Cooperation across the Americas

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other leaders at the 2022 Summit of the Americas

Freddie Everett/State Department

The Los Angeles Agreement on Migration and Protection signed by leaders from 20 countries across the Western Hemisphere at the 2022 Summit of the Americas marks a significant step forward in creating a common language and a coherent set of ideas for more cooperatively managing migration movements across a region that has seen very significant mobility in recent years, as this commentary explains.

Reports

June 2022

COVID-19’s Effects on U.S. Immigration and Immigrant Communities, Two Years On

Three health-care workers wearing blue protective masks and gowns

iStock/Juanmonino

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic recession have affected the lives of all U.S. residents, but immigrants have been among the hardest hit, with evidence of disproportionately high rates of death as well as a particularly high spike in unemployment. This report takes a look back at how the COVID-19 crisis has affected U.S. immigration policies and levels and the country’s immigrant communities.

Policy Briefs

April 2022

Leveraging the Skills of Immigrant Health-Care Professionals in Illinois and Chicago

A young female nurse wearing medical scrubs and a stethoscope sits on a park bench

iStock.com/lightspeedshutter

Immigrants play important roles across the U.S. health-care workforce, but not all of those with in-demand health and medical degrees are able to put their skills to work. Addressing this skill underutilization, or “brain waste,” has only become more important during the pandemic. This brief examines the extent of skill underutilization among immigrants with health degrees in Illinois, a state with a long history of immigration, and efforts to better leverage these skills.

Commentaries

March 2022

Straight Path to Legal Permanent Residence for Afghan Evacuees Would Build on Strong U.S. Precedent

A U.S. service member helps an older Afghan woman off a plane at a naval air station

William Chockey/U.S. Marine Corps

Dating to the 1950s, Congress on multiple occasions has provided a direct path to permanent residence for Hungarians, Vietnamese, Cubans, and others fleeing upheaval in their countries. Given this precedent, this commentary suggests Congress should act to provide a more secure future for the more than 72,000 Afghans who were airlifted to the United States under an uncertain immigration status known as parole.

Reports

February 2022

Four Years of Profound Change: Immigration Policy during the Trump Presidency

President Trump sits with his hands clasped at a desk with papers and a pen in front of him

Shealah Craighead/White House

The Trump administration set an unprecedented pace for executive action on immigration, reshaping many aspects of the U.S. immigration system through changes large and small. This report chronicles the 472 administrative changes enacted during this four-year period—ranging from COVID-19 response measures and immigration enforcement, to humanitarian protection, travel bans, legal immigration and DACA changes, and more.

Policy Briefs

November 2021

Investing in Alternatives to Irregular Migration from Central America: Options to Expand U.S. Employment Pathways

Organic Blue Corn from a farm in New Mexico

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service New Mexico

There is increasing recognition that the United States, Mexico, and migrant-origin countries in Central America will need to work together to address the large-scale, irregular movement of people through the region. While it is critical to improve humanitarian protection for those in need, expanding legal opportunities to take up employment abroad is another part of this equation, as this policy brief explores.

Image of aspiring pastor and DACA recipient speaking at DACA event in Minneapolis

Articles

At Its 10th Anniversary, DACA Faces a Tenuous Future Despite Societal Benefits

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program reached its 10th anniversary in June 2022. This article reviews the evidence on DACA’s impacts for Dreamers and the broader society, looks at the increased reliance on similar limited legal statuses to help segments of the unauthorized immigrant population, and examines the legal challenges the program has and is continuing to face.

Featured

Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy Initiative

The Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy Initiative is generating a big-picture, evidence-driven vision of the role immigration can and should play in America’s future. In a range of reports and other analyses, the Rethinking Initiative is examining the state of the U.S. asylum system, border enforcement, the legal immigration system, immigration detention, and the immigration courts, and is advancing pragmatic policy solutions to fix the long dysfunctional immigration system.

Rising Child Migration to the United States

Find in one place the relevant MPI resources on increasing unaccompanied child migration to the United States from Central America. Research, articles, data tools, and public briefings that analyze the trends and policy developments surrounding this growing phenomenon, first seen in 2014, are collected here. Data on Central American immigrant populations in the United States and country profiles of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras are also accessible here.

Recent Activity

Articles June 17, 2022 Growing State and Local Role in U.S. Immigration Policy Affects Sense of Belonging for Newcomers and Natives Alike By Tomás R. Jiménez, Deborah J. Schildkraut, Yuen J. Huo, and John F. Dovidio	Commentaries June 2022 The Los Angeles Declaration Could Represent a Big Step for Real Migration Cooperation across the Americas By Andrew Selee
Articles June 9, 2022 At Its 10th Anniversary, DACA Faces a Tenuous Future Despite Societal Benefits By Muzaffar Chishti and Julia Gelatt	Reports June 2022 COVID-19’s Effects on U.S. Immigration and Immigrant Communities, Two Years On By Julia Gelatt and Muzaffar Chishti
Articles May 25, 2022 Rise in Maritime Migration to the United States Is a Reminder of Chapters Past By Muzaffar Chishti and Jessica Bolter	Articles May 11, 2022 Sub-Saharan African Immigrants in the United States By Jane Lorenzi and Jeanne Batalova
Articles April 27, 2022 For Overwhelmed Immigration Court System, New ICE Guidelines Could Lead to Dismissal of Many Low-Priority Cases By Muzaffar Chishti and Julia Gelatt	Multimedia April 20, 2022 With Millions of Unfilled U.S. Jobs, What Role Is There for Immigration?

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Reports June 2022 COVID-19’s Effects on U.S. Immigration and Immigrant Communities, Two Years On By Julia Gelatt and Muzaffar Chishti	Policy Briefs April 2022 Leveraging the Skills of Immigrant Health-Care Professionals in Illinois and Chicago By Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
Reports February 2022 Four Years of Profound Change: Immigration Policy during the Trump Presidency By Jessica Bolter, Emma Israel and Sarah Pierce	Reports December 2021 El relanzamiento del Programa de Menores Centroamericanos: Oportunidades para realzar la protección infantil y la reunificación familiar By Mark Greenberg, Stephanie Heredia, Kira Monin, Celia Reynolds and Essey Workie
Reports December 2021 Relaunching the Central American Minors Program: Opportunities to Enhance Child Safety and Family Reunification By Mark Greenberg, Stephanie Heredia, Kira Monin, Celia Reynolds and Essey Workie	Policy Briefs November 2021 Invertir en alternativas a la migración irregular desde Centroamérica: Opciones para expandir las vías de empleo en Estados Unidos By Cristobal Ramón
Policy Briefs November 2021 Investing in Alternatives to Irregular Migration from Central America: Options to Expand U.S. Employment Pathways By Cristobal Ramón	Reports October 2021 Migración africana a través del continente americano: impulsores, rutas y respuestas normativas By Caitlyn Yates and Jessica Bolter

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Feature

June 17, 2022

Growing State and Local Role in U.S. Immigration Policy Affects Sense of Belonging for Newcomers and Natives Alike

The adoption of immigration measures by state and local governments can affect the sense of belonging not just for immigrants but also for the U.S. born, with impacts on individuals’ wellbeing, their engagement with others, and political participation. As the number of subfederal immigration measures has proliferated in recent years, research suggests this growth could have wider-ranging repercussions than commonly understood.

Policy Beat

June 9, 2022

At Its 10th Anniversary, DACA Faces a Tenuous Future Despite Societal Benefits

Migrants from Haiti intercepted by U.S. authorities off the coast of Florida.

Policy Beat

May 25, 2022

Rise in Maritime Migration to the United States Is a Reminder of Chapters Past

A recent uptick in the number of unauthorized migrants attempting to reach the United States by sea has been largely overshadowed by tensions on the southwest border but serves as an echo of eras past. This article explains why migrant interdictions have risen to recent highs, especially among Cubans and Haitians.

Instructors teach an African dance class in Miami.

Spotlight

May 11, 2022

Sub-Saharan African Immigrants in the United States

The population of sub-Saharan African immigrants in the United States is relatively small, but it has grown substantially over the last four decades and is likely to continue to increase. This group of 2.1 million people is highly diverse, including individuals with a range of ethnic, linguistic, and other backgrounds, as this article explains.

U.S. immigration officials walk by a courthouse in Seattle.

Policy Beat

April 27, 2022

For Overwhelmed Immigration Court System, New ICE Guidelines Could Lead to Dismissal of Many Low-Priority Cases

New Biden administration guidelines encourage immigration prosecutors to support dismissing many low-priority deportation cases and focus on criminals, threats to national security, and other priorities. This move could have a major impact on clearing backlogs in the overstretched U.S. immigration court system, resulting in quicker determinations in removal and asylum cases, where wait times can presently stretch for years.

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Explainers

April 2019

Explainer: Illegal Immigration in the United States

How has the size of the unauthorized population in the United States changed over time? How is illegal immigration changing, and where do unauthorized immigrants come from? This explainer answers basic questions about illegal immigration, the changing patterns from Mexico, and more.

Explainer_LegalImmigrationSystem Legal Immigration Pie_small

Explainers

April 2019

Explainer: How the U.S. Legal Immigration System Works

Through which visa categories can immigrants move temporarily or permanently to the United States? What are the main channels by which people come, and who can sponsor them for a green card? Are there limits on visa categories? And who is waiting in the green-card backlog? This explainer answers basic questions about temporary and permanent immigration via family, employment, humanitarian, and other channels.

Help Wanted sign offers employment in a restaurant in Bethesda, Maryland

Video, Audio

April 20, 2022

With Millions of Unfilled U.S. Jobs, What Role Is There for Immigration?

Experts on this webinar examined the scope and reality of skills shortages and the role of immigrants in the U.S. labor market, ways to address the underemployment of highly skilled immigrants, and how immigrants and immigration policy can be used to fulfil needs in the education sector, STEM occupations, and other skills needs.

Video

March 28, 2022

A Tribute to Demetrios G. Papademetriou

Colleagues from around the world gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of Demetrios G. Papademetriou, who was MPI's first president and the founder of MPI Europe.

Video, Audio

January 19, 2022

Biden at One: Assessing the Administration’s Immigration Record

This MPI discussion with leading experts, advocates, and a top official from the administration examines the Biden track record on immigration and what lays ahead

Expert Q&A, Audio

November 24, 2021

World of Migration: Thinking Regionally to Act Locally in Immigration Policy

With migration a dynamic phenomenon in the Americas, the U.S. government increasingly is realizing that migration management should be viewed in a regional context. This requires a new set of policies and ways of engagement with countries in North and Central America, and beyond, as MPI President Andrew Selee discusses with colleague Andrea Tanco in this episode of our World of Migration podcast.

Expert Q&A, Audio

November 12, 2021

World of Migration: Leveraging the Benefits That Immigration Can Bring

In this conversation, MPI Senior Fellow and former President Michael Fix speaks with Senior Policy Analyst Julia Gelatt about the fiscal impacts of immigration, the importance of immigrant integration, how a greater focus on credential recognition could allow immigrants to more fully utilize the academic and professional skills they bring with them, and much more.

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Articles

June 17, 2022

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