E.g., 03/23/2023
E.g., 03/23/2023
North America

North America

United States
Canada
Mexico

North America is a dynamic migration region, with the United States home to more immigrants than any other country in the world, the Mexico-U.S. corridor the globe's top migration corridor, and Canada a leading destination for migrants. Research collected here focuses on everything from visa policy and border management to immigrant integration, national identity, the demographics of immigrants in the region and their educational and workforce outcomes, and ways to more effectively use migration policy as a lever for national and regional competitiveness.

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

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

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.

Recent Activity

Event PH 2016.6.16 State Secretary Lars Westbratt at MPI Event
Multimedia
June 16, 2016
How to Fix the Global Migration Management System
LittleSaigon JeremyBrooks Flickr
Articles
June 8, 2016
Vietnamese Immigrants in the United States
By Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova
coverthumb tcmcanada
Reports
June 2016
What’s So Special about Canada? Understanding the Resilience of Immigration and Multiculturalism
By  Daniel Hiebert
Green_Card
Articles
May 25, 2016
Controversial EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program Faces Possibility of Overhaul
By Muzaffar Chishti and Faye Hipsman
IntlStudents SouthernArkansasU Flickr
Articles
May 12, 2016
International Students in the United States
By Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova
coverthumb tcmpubanx
Reports
May 2016
Maintaining Public Trust in the Governance of Migration
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou
The U.S. Supreme Court building's west entrance
Articles
April 26, 2016
U.S. v. Texas Immigration Case May Be Resolved on Narrow Procedural Grounds; Long-Term Future Shifts to Next Administration
By Muzaffar Chishti, Faye Hipsman, and Isabel Ball
coverthumb tcmalba
Policy Briefs
April 2016
Managing Religious Difference in North America and Europe in an Era of Mass Migration
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Richard Alba, Nancy Foner and Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan

Pages

pb mar11 300
Policy Beat
March 15, 2011
Unanswered Questions Surround ICE's Secure Communities Program
MPI's Muzaffar Chishti, Claire Bergeron, and Lang Hoyt report on the Secure Communities program, a new State Department initiative allowing the same-sex partners of U.S. diplomats to apply for J-1 visas, additional funding for immigration agencies in the proposed 2012 Homeland Security budget, and more.
Spotlight
March 8, 2011
Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants in the United States

Immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa are more likely than the overall foreign-born population to be proficient in English, to have a college degree, and to be naturalized U.S. citizens. MPI's Aaron Terrazas uses the latest federal data to explore the population's size, geographic distribution, and socioeconomic characteristics.

Feature
February 28, 2011
Re-envisioning Security and the Movement of People

In the post-9/11 era, U.S. policymakers have increasingly used migration policy tools to strengthen national security. This piece highlights civil rights and liberties issues that point to the need to re-envision the relationship between security and mobility, and discusses a proposal to "secure human mobility."

Feature
February 23, 2011
Filling Labor Shortages through Immigration: An Overview of Shortage Lists and their Implications

Many governments use shortage lists to either facilitate or discourage economically-motivated immigration into particular occupations or fields, but the practice of doing so raises a variety of practical and philosophical questions. MPI's Madeleine Sumption discusses the challenges of maintaining shortage lists and developing immigration policies around them.

pb feb11 300
Policy Beat
February 15, 2011
Quiet Demise of the Virtual Fence
In this month's policy beat, MPI's Muzaffar Chishti and Claire Bergeron report on the termination of the Secure Border Initiative Network, the status of the USCIS Transformation project, and more.

Pages

archive >

Recent Activity

Video, Audio
June 16, 2016

How to Fix the Global Migration Management System

Swedish and U.S. government officials, and MPI's Kathleen Newland discuss global and national responses to rising displacement, innovations in managing migration processes, and attempts to address the dysfunctional aspects of international migration, in a discussion organized by MPI and the Embassy of Sweden to the United States.

Articles
June 8, 2016

Vietnamese Immigrants in the United States

Now comprising the sixth largest foreign-born group in the country, the Vietnamese immigrant population in the United States has grown significantly since the end of the Vietnam War. Learn more about this population with the latest data in this Spotlight article.

Reports
June 2016

What’s So Special about Canada? Understanding the Resilience of Immigration and Multiculturalism

Despite weathering many of the same economic and political challenges that have affected support for immigration in other countries in recent decades—from recession to threats of terrorism—Canada has managed to maintain a consistently positive public consensus around its immigration system. This report explores the evolution of Canada’s apparently unique attitude toward immigration and diversity.

Articles
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.

Articles
May 12, 2016

International Students in the United States

The number of international students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities has risen steadily since the mid-20th century. Today, the United States represents the top destination for international students worldwide. Learn more about where these students come from, which universities they attend, and the subjects they study in this Spotlight article.

Reports
May 2016

Maintaining Public Trust in the Governance of Migration

In an era of diminished public trust in governments' ability to manage migration, policymakers face a set of interlinked challenges to winning back that trust. This report reflects on why it is so crucial for immigration policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic to earn back public confidence, and on the role of sound migration governance in doing so.

Articles
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.

Policy Briefs
April 2016

Managing Religious Difference in North America and Europe in an Era of Mass Migration

As Muslim minorities continue to grow in size and influence in Europe and North America, this Transatlantic Council on Migration policy brief focuses on the different policy frameworks and practices found on either side of the Atlantic regarding integration of Muslim immigrants, as a window into how receiving governments and societies manage religious difference and fundamental change in an era of large-scale immigration.

Pages