U.S. Immigration Policy Program

Policy Briefs

October 2023

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

A multiethnic classroom of university students sit at their desks

iStock.com/FatCamera

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.

Commentaries

September 2023

A Shrinking Number of DACA Participants Face Yet Another Adverse Court Ruling

President Biden meets with DACA recipients

Adam Schultz/White House

The DACA program has received another blow to its survival, with a federal court once again ruling that the executive branch exceeded its authority in creating the program. But with litigation likely to continue for years, it is attrition that is actively reducing the program. This commentary examines the shrinking population of DACA holders, as well as those who have been locked out from participating.

Commentaries

September 2023

A Turning Point for the Unauthorized Immigrant Population in the United States

Vice President Kamala Harris participates in a DACA roundtable

Lawrence Jackson/White House

The unauthorized immigrant population in the United States stood at approximately 11.2 million people in mid-2021, with larger annual growth than at any point since 2015, according to MPI's latest estimates. Even as the Mexican unauthorized immigrant population continued its decade-long decline, there were new entrants from a growing array of other countries.

Commentaries

August 2023

Investing in the Future: Higher Ed Should Give Greater Focus to Growing Immigrant-Origin Student Population

Jacob Ammentorp Lund/iStock.com

Eighty percent of the increase in U.S. college enrollment between 2000 and 2021 came from U.S.-born students with immigrant parents or first-generation immigrant students. This population, often overlooked, should receive significantly more focus as leaders in higher education and workforce development seek to deliver a skilled workforce for a rapidly changing U.S. labor market, this commentary argues.

Reports

July 2023

At the Breaking Point: Rethinking the U.S. Immigration Court System

iStock.com/strickke

With a backlog of nearly 2 million cases, years-long wait times for decisions, and overwhelmed judges whose productivity has declined, the U.S. immigration court system is in urgent need of repair. This report examines the factors that have driven the courts to crisis. It then outlines recommendations that promise to advance the goal of delivering timely and fair decisions, and to support the health of the U.S. immigration system more broadly.

Commentaries

July 2023

Canada's New Tech Talent Strategy Takes Aim at High-Skilled Immigrants in the United States

Graphic image of man's hand touching screen with word skills

iStock.com/Natali_Mis

Canada’s Tech Talent Strategy is highly unusual for its explicit targeting of visa holders in another country. Opening a dedicated stream specifically for high-skilled immigrants in the United States who hold an H-1B visa is the latest salvo in a growing global competition for talent—one in which some countries are racing ahead of the United States in terms of policy dynamism, as this commentary explores.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams meeting with asylum seekers.

Articles

New York and Other U.S. Cities Struggle with High Costs of Migrant Arrivals

U.S. cities have spent billions of dollars to provide shelter, health care, and other resources to migrants recently arrived from the U.S.-Mexico border. The exceptional costs, which the New York mayor has described as existential, are due to a unique combination of factors, this article explains, including the large numbers of migrants arriving without local connections and long waits for work permits.

A mariachi band performing in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Articles

Mexican Immigrants in the United States

Mexicans are by far the largest immigrant group in the United States, accounting for nearly one-fourth of all immigrants. However their numbers have been declining and in 2021 there were 1 million fewer than a decade ago. At the same time, despite years in which more new migrants came from China and India, Mexicans once again count as the largest group of new arrivals. This article outlines the changing shape and composition of this immigrant population.

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.

Recent Activity

Policy Briefs August 2019 How Does Immigration Fit into the Future of the U.S. Labor Market? By Pia M. Orrenius, Madeline Zavodny and Stephanie Gullo	Policy Briefs August 2019 Immigration and the U.S. Labor Market: A Look Ahead By Harry J. Holzer
Commentaries August 2019 Millions Will Feel Chilling Effects of U.S. Public-Charge Rule That Is Also Likely to Reshape Legal Immigration By Jeanne Batalova, Michael Fix and Mark Greenberg	Policy Briefs August 2019 Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy: New Realities Call for New Answers By Doris Meissner
Reports August 2019 From Control to Crisis: Changing Trends and Policies Reshaping U.S.-Mexico Border Enforcement By Randy Capps, Doris Meissner, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Jessica Bolter and Sarah Pierce	Commentaries July 2019 As the Trump Administration Seeks to Remove Families, Due-Process Questions over Rocket Dockets Abound By Sarah Pierce
Articles July 25, 2019 Democrats Under Pressure: Political Calendar Exposes Ideological Differences on Immigration By Muzaffar Chishti and Jessica Bolter	Commentaries July 2019 Soluciones estratégicas para afrontar la crisis migratoria en Estados Unidos y México By Andrew Selee, Silvia E. Giorguli-Saucedo, Claudia Masferrer and Ariel G. Ruiz Soto

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Reports July 2004 Observations on Regularization and the Labor Market Performance of Unauthorized and Regularized Immigrants By Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Kevin O'Neil and Maia Jachimowicz	Fact Sheets June 2004 Health Insurance Coverage of the Foreign Born in the United States: Numbers and Trends By Elizabeth Grieco
Fact Sheets May 2004 Immigrant Union Members: Numbers and Trends By Elizabeth Grieco	Reports March 2004 The Department of Homeland Security's First Year: A Report Card on Immigration By T. Alexander Aleinikoff
Reports March 2004 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 By Demetrios G. Papademetriou and Brian Ray	Fact Sheets January 2004 International Agreements of the Social Security Administration By Deborah W. Meyers
Reports January 2004 NAFTA's Promise and Reality: Lessons from Mexico for the Hemisphere By Demetrios G. Papademetriou, John J. Audley, Sandra Polaski and Scott Vaughan	Fact Sheets January 2004 What Kind of Work Do Immigrants Do? Occupation and Industry of Foreign-Born Workers in the United States By Elizabeth Grieco

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Policy Beat

July 28, 2016

Republican and Democratic Party Platforms Reflect Parallel Universes on Immigration Policy

The stark contrast between the Republican and Democratic parties on immigration was codified in their 2016 party platforms, and showcased in the rosters of convention speakers—featuring victims of unauthorized immigrant crimes on the one hand, and unauthorized immigrants living in fear on the other. This article explores the evidence, even compared to earlier platforms, of two divergent universes regarding immigration.

VisaApplicant USConsulate GeneralChennai Flickr

Feature

July 21, 2016

Chasing Growth: The Role of National Economies in U.S. Visa Refusal Rates

As many as half of all unauthorized immigrants in the United States entered legally and overstayed a visa. This article explores a possible way to refine visa policies: Examine the economic growth of travelers' home countries. The author examines the correlation between economic growth and the rate at which a country’s nationals are denied visas, and explores how this might inform visa policy.

Policy Beat

June 29, 2016

Supreme Court DAPA Ruling a Blow to Obama Administration, Moves Immigration Back to Political Realm

A split ruling by the Supreme Court in United States v. Texas has dealt a hard blow to the Obama administration's signature deferred action programs. While the decision makes it unlikely the DAPA program and DACA expansion will be implemented in their current form, the outcome at the high court may have opened a path for renewed movement on immigration policy changes in Congress, as this article explores.

Policy Beat

May 25, 2016

Controversial EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program Faces Possibility of Overhaul

While the EB-5 investor visa program from inception has had its share of critics, its sharp expansion over a short period of time—combined with the emergence of several high-profile controversies—has markedly increased scrutiny, and thus the possibility of legislative reform. This Policy Beat outlines the debate surrounding the EB-5 program and possible changes awaiting the program in Congress.

The U.S. Supreme Court building's west entrance

Policy Beat

April 26, 2016

U.S. v. Texas Immigration Case May Be Resolved on Narrow Procedural Grounds; Long-Term Future Shifts to Next Administration

The fate of the Obama administration's Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program could hinge on narrow legal grounds, as became clear when the Supreme Court heard oral argument in the DAPA challenge. This Policy Beat examines the DAPA case and developments regarding the H-1B and EB-5 visa programs, a Department of Homeland Security crackdown on student visa fraud, and more.

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Video, Audio

March 22, 2010

USCIS Director Mayorkas Offers Vision for His Agency

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas details his agenda for his agency and discusses top priorities for USCIS.

Audio

January 28, 2010

Promoting Success on Both Sides of the Border: Binational Approaches to U.S. Immigrant Integration

This panel discussion provided a brief overview of Mexican immigrants in the U.S., the role and function of Mexican consular officials in aiding this population, and reviewed the structure and foci of the Mexican government's Institute of Mexicans Abroad.

Video

January 25, 2010

DHS Assistant Secretary John Morton discusses his vision for ICE

During this Leadership Visions address, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary John Morton offered his perspectives on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, its mission, and its future.

Video, Audio

December 2, 2009

Illegal Immigration's Effects on the U.S. Economy and Policy

Illegal immigration's overall impact on the U.S. economy is negligible, despite clear benefits for employers and unauthorized immigrants and slightly depressed wages for low-skilled native workers, according to UCSD Professor of Economics Gordon Hanson.

Video

September 10, 2009

Immigrant Detention: Can ICE Meet Its Legal Imperatives and Case Management Responsibilities?

A panel discussion exploring whether ICE is capable of meeting legal standards and manage its detention system with ICE's Dora Schriro, Detention Watch Network's Andrea Black, and MPI expert Donald Kerwin.

Recent Activity

Policy Briefs

August 2019

How Does Immigration Fit into the Future of the U.S. Labor Market?

The U.S. economy is facing an uncertain future as an aging workforce, stagnating labor force participation, skill mismatches, and automation reshape the labor market. This issue brief explores these forces and the role that immigration could play in supporting future U.S. economic growth. It also examines how immigration affects workers already in the country, both native born and immigrant.

Policy Briefs

August 2019

Immigration and the U.S. Labor Market: A Look Ahead

In the coming decades, the U.S. labor market will undergo major transformation. Automation, an aging workforce, and alternative staffing practices will change how, where, and by whom work is done. This think piece, by a former chief economist for the U.S. Labor Department, explores how immigrant workers fit into this changing landscape, and what immigration and workforce policy changes could help maximize their contributions to the U.S. economy.

Commentaries

August 2019

Millions Will Feel Chilling Effects of U.S. Public-Charge Rule That Is Also Likely to Reshape Legal Immigration

The public-charge rule issued by the Trump administration in August 2019 will have profound effects on future immigration and on use of public benefits by millions of legal noncitizens and their U.S.-citizen family members. Complex standards for determining when an immigrant is likely to become a public charge could cause a significant share of the nearly 23 million noncitizens and U.S. citizens in benefits-using immigrant families to disenroll, as this commentary explains.

Policy Briefs

August 2019

Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy: New Realities Call for New Answers

The U.S. immigration system is in desperate need of an overhaul. What has been missing is an alternate vision for a path forward that treats immigration as a strategic resource while also accounting for heightened security and rule-of-law imperatives, which together can further U.S. interests, values, and democratic principles as a society. This concept note outlines a new MPI initiative, Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy, that seeks to fill this gap.

Reports

August 2019

From Control to Crisis: Changing Trends and Policies Reshaping U.S.-Mexico Border Enforcement

How did the U.S. border enforcement picture go in the span of two years from the lowest levels of illegal immigration since 1971 to a spiraling border security and humanitarian crisis? This report draws on enforcement and other data as well as analysis of changing migration trends and policies to tell this story. The authors outline key elements for a new strategy that can succeed over the long term.

Commentaries

July 2019

As the Trump Administration Seeks to Remove Families, Due-Process Questions over Rocket Dockets Abound

The U.S. government is operating accelerated dockets to handle the rising number of cases of families in immigration court. While it is essential to have timely, fair case processing and removal of those who have truly had their day in court and been found to be removable, using “rocket” dockets to speed up proceedings only heightens the breakdowns that are a recurring feature of the court system on its best day, as this commentary explains.

Articles

July 25, 2019

Democrats Under Pressure: Political Calendar Exposes Ideological Differences on Immigration

Ideological differences in the Democratic Party over immigration that were once masked by unity against President Trump’s border wall and immigration agenda are now being exposed as Democratic presidential candidates seek to stand out in a crowded field and amid controversy over an emergency border spending bill. As the 2020 electoral calendar accelerates, how the party navigates the gulf between its most liberal and conservative wings will become a greater challenge for its leaders.

Commentaries

July 2019

Soluciones estratégicas para afrontar la crisis migratoria en Estados Unidos y México

Dado el incremento de los flujos migratorios provenientes de Centroamérica, el pasado mes de junio de 2019, los Estados Unidos y México acordaron tomar una serie de medidas para reducir los flujos irregulares. Sin embargo, será muy difícil mantener estos esfuerzos de corto plazo, debido a una debilidad institucional crónica y a estructuras de política pública poco planificadas en ambos países. Este comentario ofrece cinco recomendaciones a ambos países considerando soluciones de mediano y largo plazo para disuadir la migración irregular y, al mismo tiempo, garantizar que aquellos que busquen protección tengan un proceso justo.

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