E.g., 06/07/2026
E.g., 06/07/2026

North America: Research

Cover image for Creating Inclusive Urban Economies for Migrants and Refugees
Reports
May 2026

Creating Inclusive Urban Economies for Migrants and Refugees

Migrants and refugees make up notable shares of the workforce in many cities. By creating an environment in which they can find work, apply their skills, and thrive, urban areas can set themselves up to weather current and future economic changes, including the green and digital transitions. Drawing on a scan of city practices on four continents, this report examines the experiences and policy approaches of cities around the world.

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

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. 

Cover image for Rooted in the Valley
Reports
May 2026

Rooted in the Valley: Immigrants in Napa County’s Communities and Economy

In Napa Valley, a world-famous wine-growing region, agriculture and manufacturing are major aspects of the regional economy. They are also sectors that have long relied on immigrant labor. This report examines the characteristics and economic contributions of Napa County’s immigrant residents and workers.

Cover image for Native Language Assessments for K-12 English Learners
Fact Sheets
March 2026

Native Language Assessments for K-12 English Learners: A 2025 State-Level Snapshot

Native language assessments are an important tool for measuring what K–12 English Learner (EL) students know in core academic subjects, independent of their English proficiency level. This fact sheet provides an overview of which states offer assessments in students’ home languages, for which subjects, and how this landscape has changed in recent years.

Cover image for Building Refugee-Inclusive Labor Mobility Pathways
Reports
February 2026

Building Refugee-Inclusive Labor Mobility Pathways: A Visa Evaluation Framework

When refugees can access mainstream work visas, this offers opportunities to find safety while also helping destination countries meet pressing labor needs. Yet the design of many work visas puts them out of reach for well-qualified refugees. This visa evaluation framework and scorecard highlight how different characteristics can make a visa more or less accessible, transparent, and predictable.

Cover image for A Profile of the Growing Black Immigrant Population in the United States
Fact Sheets
February 2026

A Profile of the Growing Black Immigrant Population in the United States

The Black immigrant population in the United States has both grown considerably since 1990 and become more diverse, with the one-time heavily Caribbean and Latin American origins now more evenly mixed with arrivals from Africa. This fact sheet uses U.S. Census Bureau data to explore the demographic, workforce, and household characteristics of this group, which makes up 9 percent of the country’s overall immigrant population.

Cover image for Graduating into Uncertainty
Fact Sheets
February 2026

Graduating into Uncertainty: Unauthorized Immigrant Students in U.S. High Schools

All high school students face important questions about what comes next after graduation. Those who are unauthorized immigrants face additional challenges—from heightened immigration enforcement to states walking back in-state tuition policies for these students. This fact sheet provides estimates of the number and characteristics of unauthorized immigrant children who are reaching the end of high school and graduating from K-12 schools across the United States each year.

Cover image for New Frameworks for Language Access
Reports
January 2026

New Frameworks for Language Access: Tracking the Expansion & Features of State & Local Laws & Policies

U.S. states and localities are increasingly enacting policies to make sure that language barriers do not prevent people from accessing government information and services, boosting service effectiveness and the ability to connect with residents. This report examines this trend, and the role of state and local policies against the backdrop of a changing federal policy landscape.

Cover image for Making Preschool Classroom Assessments Work for Dual Language Learners
Policy Briefs
December 2025

Making Preschool Classroom Assessments Work for Dual Language Learners

Although one-third of U.S. young children have a parent who speaks a language other than English, early childhood educators often lack the tools to effectively monitor the development of those not in monolingual, English-speaking households. This issue brief examines why many preschool classroom assessments are a poor fit for Dual Language Learners, and ways to make them more effective for diverse populations.

Cover image for Breaking the Cycle of Dysfunction at the U.S. Immigration Courts
Policy Briefs
November 2025

Breaking the Cycle of Dysfunction at the U.S. Immigration Courts

The U.S. immigration court system faces an unprecedented crisis, with nearly 3.8 million pending cases as of mid-2025. This years-long backlog has undermined both timely immigration enforcement and grants of asylum to those in need of protection. This policy brief offers concrete actions that could make proceedings more efficient and more fair.

Cover image for Maine’s Immigrant Communities
Reports
October 2025

Maine’s Immigrant Communities: Diverse Origins, Characteristics, and Challenges

Maine’s immigrant population, though relatively small, is a notably diverse mix of long-settled residents and newcomers from many parts of the world. At a time when the U.S.-born workforce in Maine is shrinking and aging, immigrants contribute essential labor and skills to the state economy. This report sketches a profile of immigrants in Maine, including their origins, educational attainment, workforce characteristics, and the challenges some face.

Fact sheet thumbnail for 2025 unauthorized immigrants research
Fact Sheets
October 2025

Changing Origins, Rising Numbers: Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States

The 13.7 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States as of mid-2023 reflect increasingly diverse origins, socioeconomic and labor market characteristics, family composition, and places of settlement. This fact sheet explores those trends, drawing on MPI's detailed data profiles of the unauthorized immigrant population at U.S., state, and top county levels. 

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