E.g., 04/08/2020
E.g., 04/08/2020

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.

A doctor wearing a face mask performing a test
Fact Sheets

Immigrant Workers: Vital to the U.S. COVID-19 Response, Disproportionately Vulnerable

Six million immigrant workers are at the frontlines of keeping U.S. residents healthy and fed during the COVID-19 pandemic, representing disproportionate shares of physicians, home health aides, and retail-store pharmacists, for example. They also are over-represented in sectors most immediately devastated by mass layoffs, yet many will have limited access to safety-net systems and to federal relief, as this fact sheet details.

Boats along a river in the Darien Gap, Panama
Articles

As More Migrants from Africa and Asia Arrive in Latin America, Governments Seek Orderly and Controlled Pathways

Growing numbers of African and Asian migrants are moving through Latin America, many hoping to reach the United States or Canada after expensive, arduous, and often dangerous journeys that can take months or even years. As more extracontinental migrants transit through South and Central America, Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica have developed the most comprehensive policies to manage these flows, sometimes working in coordination with the U.S. government.

Recent Activity

Articles
June 25, 2015
Quick Resolution of Challenge over Obama Administration Deportation Relief Programs Is Ever Less Likely
By Muzaffar Chishti, Faye Hipsman, and Sarah Pierce
Reports
June 2015
The Integration Outcomes of U.S. Refugees: Successes and Challenges
By Randy Capps, Kathleen Newland, Susan Fratzke, Susanna Groves, Michael Fix, Margie McHugh, and Gregory Auclair
Articles
June 3, 2015
Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants in the United States
By Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova
Fact Sheets
June 2015
States and Districts with the Highest Number and Share of English Language Learners
By Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Sarah Hooker, and Jeanne Batalova
Fact Sheets
June 2015
Top Languages Spoken by English Language Learners Nationally and by State
By Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Sarah Hooker, and Jeanne Batalova
Articles
May 21, 2015
In Historic Shift, New Migration Flows from Mexico Fall Below Those from China and India
By Muzaffar Chishti and Faye Hipsman
Multimedia
April 28, 2015
Ready to Meet the Needs of All Children? A Closer Look at Diversity in the Early Childhood Workforce
Articles
May 6, 2015
Indian Immigrants in the United States
By Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova

Pages

Fact Sheets
September 2003
Immigration Since September 11, 2001
By Elizabeth Grieco, Deborah W. Meyers, and Kathleen Newland
Policy Briefs
June 2003
Does 'Smarter' Lead to Safer? An Assessment of the Border Accords with Canada and Mexico
By Deborah W. Meyers
Reports
April 2003
Discussion on Migration and Development: Using Remittances and Circular Migration as Drivers for Development
By Kevin O'Neil
Policy Briefs
April 2003
Reconciling Refugee Protection and Security Concerns in Wartime: The Case of Iraq
By Monette Zard and Erin Patrick
Policy Briefs
April 2003
Immigration Policy and the Homeland Security Act Reorganization: An Early Agenda for Practical Improvements
By David A. Martin
Reports
March 2003
Women Immigrants in the United States
By Deborah W. Meyers and Maia Jachimowicz
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
Policy Briefs
February 2003
Census 2010 and the Foreign Born: Averting the Data Crisis
By Elizabeth Grieco

Pages

Top Ten
December 1, 2011
Heading into the 2012 Elections, Republican Presidential Candidates Walk the Immigration Policy Tightrope

The debate season is well underway for the Republican presidential primary races in the United States, and immigration has once again emerged as a highly contentious policy issue.

Top Ten
December 1, 2011
Immigration in United States and Parts of Europe Gives Way to Increased Emigration

Immigration flows this year continued to respond sharply to the economic climate in major immigrant-receiving nations, as many struggled to gain a labor market foothold in the aftermath of the global economic meltdown.

Policy Beat
November 16, 2011
At Its 25th Anniversary, IRCA's Legacy Lives On
MPI's Muzaffar Chishti and Claire Bergeron report on the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) and the impact that law has had on past and present immigration policies.
Spotlight
October 25, 2011
Immigration Enforcement in the United States
At just under 517,000, immigrant apprehensions in 2010 were the lowest they have been in nearly 40 years. Sheida Elmi and Kristen McCabe analyze the most recent immigration enforcement data on apprehensions, detentions, removals, and returns of noncitizens in the United States.
Policy Beat
October 18, 2011
Eleventh Circuit Ruling on Alabama's HB 56 Fuels Debate over the Limits of State Immigration Measures
MPI's Muzaffar Chishti and Claire Bergeron report on the halted implementation of Alabama's HB 56, the new DHS prosecutorial discretion policy, the opening of the 2013 diversity visa lottery, and more.

Pages

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Recent Activity

Articles
June 25, 2015

Quick Resolution of Challenge over Obama Administration Deportation Relief Programs Is Ever Less Likely

As legal challenges continue to impede President Obama's deferred action programs to protect millions of unauthorized immigrants from deportation, it is becoming increasingly clear that the window of opportunity for implementation before the 2016 election is growing ever narrower. Even as advocates continue mobilizing immigrants to apply, attention is shifting to other new policies announced by the president last November.
Reports
June 2015

The Integration Outcomes of U.S. Refugees: Successes and Challenges

Using previously non-public refugee admissions data from the State Department, this analysis finds that even as refugees come to the United States from increasingly diverse origins and linguistic backgrounds, some arriving with very low native-language literacy and education, most integrate successfully over time. The report examines refugees' employment, English proficiency, educational attainment, income and poverty status, and public benefits usage.

Articles
June 3, 2015

Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants in the United States

Immigration to the United States from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has increased in recent years, rising to a total population of 1.02 million in 2013. Immigrants from the region come from a diverse range of countries and cultures. This data Spotlight delves into the variations among MENA groups on key socioeconomic indicators, from geographic distribution and language proficiency to employment, immigration pathways, and naturalization.

Fact Sheets
June 2015

States and Districts with the Highest Number and Share of English Language Learners

While English Language Learner (ELL) students are spread throughout the United States, their density, or the share they represent of total public school enrollment, varies greatly by state. This fact sheet, drawing upon data from the U.S. Department of Education, examines the states and districts with the highest shares and populations of ELL students and offers a detailed breakdown of some key statistics.

Fact Sheets
June 2015

Top Languages Spoken by English Language Learners Nationally and by State

This fact sheet, drawing upon data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2013 American Community Survey and the U.S. Department of Education, describes the home languages spoken by English Language Learner (ELL) students at national and state levels, providing the top five languages by state.

Articles
May 21, 2015

In Historic Shift, New Migration Flows from Mexico Fall Below Those from China and India

Mexico has lost its long-held status as the top source country of new immigrants to the United States, dropping to third place behind China and India. This historic shift is remarkable for the rapid decline in Mexican inflows combined with a steady rise in Asian immigration, largely through high-skilled visa programs. This Policy Beat explores the reasons behind these trends and their potential impact on U.S. demographics.
Video, Audio, Webinars
April 28, 2015

Ready to Meet the Needs of All Children? A Closer Look at Diversity in the Early Childhood Workforce

On this webinar, MPI analysts present the findings from their report Immigrant and Refugee Workers in the Early Childhood Field: Taking a Closer Look, and discuss the issue with a leading expert in the field of child-care worker employment.

Articles
May 6, 2015

Indian Immigrants in the United States

Indian immigrants represent the second-largest origin group in the United States, accounting for 4.7 percent of the total foreign-born population. Generally high-skilled and highly educated, more than half of Indian immigrants have arrived since 2000 and largely attain green cards through employment-based pathways. Indians account for 70 percent of H-1B petitions and are the second-largest group of international students in the United States.

Pages