North America

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

Articles July 19, 2017 The Trump Administration at Six Months: A Sea Change in Immigration Enforcement By Muzaffar Chishti and Jessica Bolter	Articles July 6, 2017 Cuban Migration: A Postrevolution Exodus Ebbs and Flows By Jorge Duany
Commentaries June 2017 The Supreme Court’s Opinion on the Revised Trump Executive Order: What Does It Mean For Refugees? By T. Alexander Aleinikoff	Articles June 28, 2017 Immigrant Health-Care Workers in the United States By Szilvia Altorjai and Jeanne Batalova
Articles June 20, 2017 Despite Political Resistance, Use of Temporary Worker Visas Rises as U.S. Labor Market Tightens By Muzaffar Chishti and Jessica Bolter	Commentaries June 2017 Immigrants and the New Brain Gain: Ways to Leverage Rising Educational Attainment By Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
Articles June 7, 2017 Refugees and Asylees in the United States By Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova	Reports June 2017 How Are Refugees Faring? Integration at U.S. and State Levels By Michael Fix, Kate Hooper and Jie Zong

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Policy Briefs April 2003 Immigration Policy and the Homeland Security Act Reorganization: An Early Agenda for Practical Improvements By David A. Martin	Reports April 2003 Discussion on Migration and Development: Using Remittances and Circular Migration as Drivers for Development By Kevin O'Neil
Reports March 2003 America's Challenge: Domestic Security, Civil Liberties, and National Unity After September 11 By Muzaffar Chishti, Doris Meissner, Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Michael Wishnie, Stephen Yale-Loehr and Jay Peterzell	Reports March 2003 Women Immigrants in the United States By Deborah W. Meyers and Maia Jachimowicz
Policy Briefs February 2003 Census 2010 and the Foreign Born: Averting the Data Crisis By Elizabeth Grieco	Policy Briefs June 2002 Reconcilable Differences? An Evaluation of Current INS Restructuring Proposals By Demetrios G. Papademetriou and Deborah W. Meyers
Books May 2002 Citizenship Policies for an Age of Migration By T. Alexander Aleinikoff and Douglas Klusmeyer	Fact Sheets April 2002 A Grand Bargain: Balancing the National Security, Economic, and Immigration Interests of the U.S. and Mexico By Demetrios G. Papademetriou

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Spotlight

September 27, 2012

Refugees and Asylees in the United States

In 2011, the United States granted humanitarian protection to nearly 81,000 immigrants, including some 56,000 refugees and 25,000 asylum seekers. This article takes a detailed look at the most recent refugee and asylum data in the United States – finding that asylum grants in 2011 reversed a downward trend observed since 2007.

Policy Beat

September 18, 2012

Platforms and Conventions Reveal Deep Divide on Immigration Between GOP, Dems

MPI's Claire Bergeron and Faye Hipsman report on Democratic and Republican party platforms and their takes on immigration, new rules rendering DACA beneficiaries ineligible for Medicaid and CHIP, CBP's elimination of paper I-94 cards, and more.

Feature

September 12, 2012

Renouncing U.S. Citizenship: A New Trend?

Tax liability for income earned overseas by Americans has been part of the U.S. tax system since the federal income tax was first introduced in 1861. Since 2009, the United States has witnessed a rise in citizenship renunciation, especially among the affluent. Some see this as a barometer of the waning appeal of U.S. citizenship, which has been and remains an aspirational goal for many around the world. However, it seems as though legislative and regulatory factors may be the more likely triggers for this new trend.

Feature

September 6, 2012

Pushouts, Shutouts, and Holdouts: Adult Education Pathways of Latino Young Adults

This article examines the underlying reasons for the interrupted school enrollment of Latino immigrant young adults in the United States who are colloquially referred to as dropouts and perhaps more precisely should be defined as pushouts, shutouts, or holdouts. A study reveals wide-ranging reasons for the interruption in their schooling, both before migration and after, and provides relevant data for educational policy and programming.

Policy Beat

August 16, 2012

Key Factors, Unresolved Issues in New Deferred Action Program for Immigrant Youth Will Determine Its Success

Notwithstanding the opportunities for qualified unauthorized immigrants brought to the United States as youth offered through the newly implemented deferred action program, the policy's success still faces implementation and other challenges. Muzaffar Chishti and Faye Hipsman examine the issues that remain unaddressed in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Recent Activity

Articles

July 19, 2017

The Trump Administration at Six Months: A Sea Change in Immigration Enforcement

Making good on campaign promises to toughen immigration enforcement, the Trump administration has acted swiftly to cast a wider net in the U.S. interior. The actions represent a sea change in enforcement practice, moving from a tight focus on high-priority individuals to an era in which all unauthorized immigrants may be subject to deportation. This article explores the shifts undertaken during President Trump's first six months.

Articles

July 6, 2017

Cuban Migration: A Postrevolution Exodus Ebbs and Flows

The Cuban Revolution unleashed a massive exodus from the island. Cuba is now among the top origin countries of immigrants in the United States—where for decades they have received preferential treatment—with smaller numbers across Europe and Latin America. This article explores the evolution of Cuban migration, particularly within the context of the Cold War and shifting U.S. policies toward the country.

Commentaries

June 2017

The Supreme Court’s Opinion on the Revised Trump Executive Order: What Does It Mean For Refugees?

Legal analysis of the Supreme Court’s opinion allowing aspects of a controversial Trump administration executive order to take effect has largely focused on the travel ban on certain nationals from six predominantly Muslim countries. Less noticed was the justices' views with regards to the temporary suspension of the refugee resettlement program. This commentary explores the ruling's possible consequences on refugees.

Articles

June 28, 2017

Immigrant Health-Care Workers in the United States

Approximately 2.1 million immigrants work in health-care occupations in the United States, comprising nearly 17 percent of the 12.4 million doctors, nurses, dentists, and other health-care professionals. Learn more about immigrant health-care workers in the United States with this data-rich article, including top occupations nationally and by state, countries of origin, educational levels, visa pathways, and much more.

Articles

June 20, 2017

Despite Political Resistance, Use of Temporary Worker Visas Rises as U.S. Labor Market Tightens

Although President Trump has repeatedly pledged to preserve "U.S. jobs for U.S. workers," employers are increasingly relying on temporary visas as a result of labor shortages in agriculture, high tech, and beyond. This article examines the increases occurring in key temporary worker programs, affecting seasonal agricultural and nonagricultural industries, as well as high-skilled tech jobs.

Commentaries

June 2017

Immigrants and the New Brain Gain: Ways to Leverage Rising Educational Attainment

A recent MPI study reveals that 48 percent of recent immigrants to the United States were college graduates, a sharp increase over earlier periods. How can the United States better leverage this brain gain? This commentary outlines some policies that could allow the United States to more fully utilize the professional and academic credentials that highly skilled immigrants have, for their benefit and that of the U.S. economy.

Articles

June 7, 2017

Refugees and Asylees in the United States

The United States has historically led the world on refugee resettlement, and today remains the top country, having resettled approximately 85,000 refugees in fiscal 2016. It also granted asylum status to more than 26,000 individuals in FY 2015. This article examines characteristics of U.S. refugee and asylee populations, including top countries of origin, states of resettlement, age and gender, and more.

Reports

June 2017

How Are Refugees Faring? Integration at U.S. and State Levels

Approximately 3 million refugees have been admitted to the United States since 1980, with most entering employment quickly and making substantial gains toward integration over time. Yet national averages often mask considerable variation. This report uses a unique methodology to explore how different refugee groups fare across U.S. states and what role state policies may or may not play in shaping these outcomes.

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