E.g., 04/16/2024
E.g., 04/16/2024
North America

North America

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.

Recent Activity

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An estimated 10.3 million unauthorized migrants were living in the U.S. in 2004. Jennifer Van Hook, Frank Bean, and Jeff Passell report on who they are, where they live, the work they do, and their levels of education and poverty.

MPI's Julia Gelatt reports on Senators Cornyn and Kyl's comprehensive immigration reform bill, Secretary Chertoff's announcement on changes to the DHS, voting rights for Mexican citizens abroad, and more.
Julia Gelatt and Jennifer Yau report on resumption of free flights for undocumented border crossers, Senators Kyl and Cornyn's immigration enforcement proposals, and the use of immigration laws in national security investigations.
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In 2003, the U.S. merged all of its border-related agencies to create a unified border inspection process. MPI's Deborah Meyers reports on the positive and negative effects of the merger to date.
MPI's Jennifer Yau outlines the main points of the McCain-Kennedy bill and reports on the passage of the Real ID Act, medical costs of the undocumented, and more.

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Recent Activity

Video, Audio
August 7, 2012

Join MPI as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas discusses the application process and policies that the agency has announced to implement the administration’s deferred action program.

Articles

In recent years, many governments have tightened their citizenship requirements as a way to promote better immigrant integration. In examining citizenship policy in the United States, Canada, and countries in the European Union, this article considers the balance policymakers face between requirements that may be too difficult for immigrants to meet and ones that will better help them find success in their new countries of residence.

Reports
August 2012

This report investigates the reasons behind Mexico’s lackluster economic growth over recent decades. The author identifies lines of argument to explain Mexico’s sluggish growth, assesses the importance of these factors, and offers a road map for confronting this disappointing growth record.

Fact Sheets
August 2012

This fact sheet provides an estimate of the number of DREAMers—unauthorized immigrants potentially eligible for a two-year reprieve from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals initiative—based on eligibility criteria outlined by the Department of Homeland Security. It also offers a detailed analysis of the demographic characteristics of prospective beneficiaries.

Video, Audio
July 30, 2012

MPI is pleased to host a discussion with experts from both KIND and the Women’s Refugee Commission, focusing on the causes of the increase in unaccompanied minor migrants, the situation these minors face once detained or apprehended, and the challenges confronting both nongovernmental organizations trying to provide aid and the U.S. government agencies responsible for processing minors through the system. 

Articles

In the past 50 years, the number and share of European immigrants in the United States have declined significantly. A look at the population's size, geographic distribution, admission categories, and demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.

Video
July 25, 2012

The 2012 Global Diaspora Forum challenged diaspora communities to forge partnerships with the private sector, civil society, and public institutions in order to make their engagements with their countries of origin or ancestry effective, scalable, and sustainable.

Articles

Though little recognized as such, the Workforce Investment Act represents one of the most important immigrant integration initiatives in the United States, assisting workers in obtaining the necessary training and language skills to advance in the workforce. Despite a steady increase of immigrants in need of these services, a decreasing share are able to access the programs to keep pace with a changing labor market.

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