Immigration Policy & Law

Immigration legislative and administrative policies, legal statutes and court decisions, and regulations collectively shape nations' immigration systems—from visa allotments and immigrant-selection mechanisms to immigrant integration programs, border controls, and more. As international migration has increased in size and spread and as a number of nations are more flexibly adjusting their immigration systems, the research offered here examines the many permutations of immigration policy and law, often with a comparative lens.

Recent Activity

Multimedia June 2, 2026 When Sports and U.S. Immigration Policy Collide	Articles May 28, 2026 Attacked as "De Facto Amnesty," U.S. Temporary Protected Status Is Abruptly Eroded By Muzaffar Chishti and Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
Short Reads May 2026 The Immigration Debate America Needs—and Is Not Having By Julia Gelatt, Doris Meissner and Andrew Selee	Multimedia May 18, 2026 America’s Closing Door: Where Do Cuban Migrants Go Now?
Reports May 2026 Creating Inclusive Urban Economies for Migrants and Refugees By Kate Hooper, María Jesús Mora, Abigail Goldfarb and Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan	Articles May 14, 2026 Brazilian Immigrants in the United States By Marina Aragão Santos and Jeanne Batalova
Reports May 2026 Adult English Instruction at Risk: The Threat of Federal Funding Cuts and Potential State Responses By Jacob Hofstetter	Reports May 2026 Rooted in the Valley: Immigrants in Napa County’s Communities and Economy By Valerie Lacarte, Michael Fix and Allison Rutland

Reports May 2026 Creating Inclusive Urban Economies for Migrants and Refugees By Kate Hooper, María Jesús Mora, Abigail Goldfarb and Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan	Reports May 2026 Adult English Instruction at Risk: The Threat of Federal Funding Cuts and Potential State Responses By Jacob Hofstetter
Reports May 2026 Rooted in the Valley: Immigrants in Napa County’s Communities and Economy By Valerie Lacarte, Michael Fix and Allison Rutland	Reports February 2026 Building Refugee-Inclusive Labor Mobility Pathways: A Visa Evaluation Framework By María Belén Zanzuchi, Kate Hooper and Abigail Goldfarb
Reports January 2026 New Frameworks for Language Access: Tracking the Expansion & Features of State & Local Laws & Policies By Jacob Hofstetter	Reports December 2025 Best Practices for Designing and Managing Labor Migration Corridors to Europe By Kate Hooper, María Belén Zanzuchi, Abigail Goldfarb, Ravenna Sohst and Bertrand Steiner
Policy Briefs December 2025 Making Preschool Classroom Assessments Work for Dual Language Learners By Katherine Habben, Victoria Kim and Lorena Mancilla	Policy Briefs November 2025 Breaking the Cycle of Dysfunction at the U.S. Immigration Courts By Kathleen Bush-Joseph, Doris Meissner and Muzaffar Chishti

A woman wearing scrubs in a health-care setting reviews a chart

Policy Beat

May 28, 2026

Attacked as "De Facto Amnesty," U.S. Temporary Protected Status Is Abruptly Eroded

The Trump administration is seeking to all but eliminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a humanitarian safeguard for U.S.-resident noncitizens whose home countries were too dangerous or unstable for return. While critics say the term "temporary" has been stretched beyond recognition, TPS has become a mainstay. This article examines the history and use of TPS, the debate over its future, and holders of the status.

Spotlight

May 14, 2026

Brazilian Immigrants in the United States

The United States is home to the largest Brazilian community outside Brazil. Still, Brazilians account for only about 1 percent of all U.S. immigrants. This population has grown rapidly in recent years, with nearly two-thirds of Brazilian immigrants arriving since 2010, as this article details.

Feature

May 7, 2026

Central Asian Migrants Look Beyond Russia, Yet New Destinations Carry Challenges Too

Patterns of migration from Central Asia are changing amid deteriorating conditions in Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine and a 2024 terrorist attack in Moscow blamed on Tajik nationals. Some labor migrants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are looking to new destinations in Europe and beyond, bringing its own set of challenges.

Policy Beat

April 29, 2026

Though Rare, Birth Tourism to the United States Sparks Outsized Concern

Birth tourism is at the center of the Trump administration’s legal argument to end the guarantee of birthright citizenship. Estimates suggest the practice is quite rare, and a range of government actions, including enforcement operations on "maternity hotels," has sought to eradicate it. This article examines birth tourism to the United States, offering a look at trends, policy responses, and its role in the legal fight over ending birthright citizenship.

People walk in front of Tower Bridge in London.

Feature

April 24, 2026

Chasing Public Opinion, UK Immigration Policy Has Swung Cyclically

UK immigration policy has often followed public mood on the issue. While attitudes have remained generally steady, the issue’s salience—how important people feel it to be—has risen and fallen, often in response to major news coverage or periods of highly visible migration. This article describes how UK labor migration policies have followed public attitude since 2010.

Male and female business professionals gathered at a conference table

Short Reads

May 2026

The Immigration Debate America Needs—and Is Not Having

By Julia Gelatt, Doris Meissner and Andrew Selee

Image of a hand holding a passport with the stamp 'rejected' on a passport page

Short Reads

April 2026

Trump Restrictions on Legal Immigration Could Sharply Reduce U.S. Population Growth

By Julia Gelatt

Migrantes venezolanas en Guayaquil, Ecuador

Short Reads

February 2026

Tras Maduro, un enfoque mesurado de la migración venezolana es más esencial que nunca

By Diego Chaves-González

Venezuelan migrants in Guayaquil, Ecuador

Short Reads

February 2026

Post-Maduro, a Measured Approach to Venezuelan Migration Is More Essential than Ever

By Diego Chaves-González

Short Reads

January 2026

Trump Administration Public-Charge Rule Would Amplify Harms to Immigrant Families

By Julia Gelatt

Woman raises hand to ask question in classroom

Short Reads

January 2026

Trump Administration Actions Jeopardize Decades of Progress in Adult Education and Immigrant Integration

By Jacob Hofstetter and Margie McHugh

Short Reads

December 2025

Europe’s Talent Race Starts at the Visa Counter

By Kate Hooper, Nurbanu Hayır and María Belén Zanzuchi

Venezuelan immigrant registers in Ecuador

Short Reads

November 2025

Security Reforms in Ecuador Should Not Be the Last Word

By Diego Chaves-González

Inmigrante venezolano se registra en Ecuador

Short Reads

November 2025

Las reformas en materia de seguridad en Ecuador deben representar un primer paso, no el último

By Diego Chaves-González

Short Reads

May 2025

Repealing Birthright Citizenship Would Significantly Increase the Size of the U.S. Unauthorized Population

By Jennifer Van Hook, Michael Fix and Julia Gelatt

Colorful illustration of people of many different backgrounds

Explainers

October 2024

Explainer: Who Are Immigrants in the United States?

With immigration a central focus in U.S. public and policy conversations, it is useful to have a solid understanding of the foreign-born population. This explainer offers statistics on the immigrant population’s size, origins, places of U.S. settlement, and pathways of arrival. It also looks at legal statuses, which have been a topic of significant public interest and confusion. More than three-quarters of all immigrants in United States are here legally.

A line drawing of a city landscape with people

Explainers

October 2024

Explainer: Immigrants and the Use of Public Benefits in the United States

Other than refugees, noncitizens in the United States face significant restrictions on access to federally funded public benefits, including programs such as Medicaid, food stamps, and cash assistance programs. This is particularly the case for unauthorized immigrants, who except in very limited circumstances are barred from all federally funded public benefits, as our explainer details.

Explainer_LegalImmigrationSystem Legal Immigration Pie_small

Explainers

April 2019

Explainer: How the U.S. Legal Immigration System Works

Through which visa categories can immigrants move temporarily or permanently to the United States? What are the main channels by which people come, and who can sponsor them for a green card? Are there limits on visa categories? And who is waiting in the green-card backlog? This explainer answers basic questions about temporary and permanent immigration via family, employment, humanitarian, and other channels.

Explainers

February 2019

Explainer: Who Is An Immigrant?

Who is an immigrant? Does that status change if, for example, a foreigner marries a native-born resident or serves in his or her adopted country's military? This explainer answers basic questions about international migrants—who they are, their top destinations, where they come from, how they are counted, and more.

Expert Q&A, Audio

June 2, 2026

When Sports and U.S. Immigration Policy Collide

FIFA World Cup 2026 arrives amid stricter U.S. immigration policies that are limiting access for fans from dozens of countries. This World of Migration episode features sports journalist Albert Samaha on what the intersection of sports and immigration at the World Cup, including visa barriers and stepped-up enforcement, could mean, including for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Expert Q&A, Audio

May 18, 2026

America’s Closing Door: Where Do Cuban Migrants Go Now?

Cuba's collapsing economy and shrinking immigration pathways to the United States are redirecting Cuban migration flows across the Americas, as this World of Migration episode explores with María José Espinosa Carrillo, Executive Director of the Center for Engagement and Advocacy in the Americas (CEDA).

Expert Q&A, Audio

April 2, 2026

Why Is Immigration Policy So Hard to Get Right?

Why has immigration become so politically divisive—and why is it so difficult for governments to design policies that satisfy both public concerns and economic needs?

Video, Audio

February 26, 2026

Meeting Labor Skill Needs While Expanding Refugee Protection

This webinar explored labor migration pathways as a potential avenue for qualified refugees to access protection in Europe while helping meet destination countries’ skill needs. Speakers examined ways to make work visas more accessible to qualified refugees and how to remove barriers that prevent refugees from entering via the labor pathway.

Expert Q&A, Audio

February 25, 2026

The Role of Immigration as South Korea Navigates Demographic Decline

South Korea faces a rapidly aging population and shrinking workforce. What role can immigration play in responding to these pressures? In this World of Migration podcast episode, MPI’s Lawrence Huang speaks with Juyoung Jang, a senior policy researcher and advisor on migration and demographics at South Korea’s Migration Research and Training Center.

Recent Activity

Expert Q&A, Audio

June 2, 2026

When Sports and U.S. Immigration Policy Collide

Articles

May 28, 2026

Attacked as "De Facto Amnesty," U.S. Temporary Protected Status Is Abruptly Eroded

Short Reads

May 2026

The Immigration Debate America Needs—and Is Not Having

Immigration is central to America’s economic future, yet political debate remains fixated on border crises and past policy failures instead of how a modern legal immigration system could power U.S. growth and competitiveness in an era of demographic decline. This short read argues for shifting the conversation toward flexible, employment-based immigration policies that match today’s labor market needs, strengthen enforcement through legal pathways, and treat immigrants as a source of national strength.

Expert Q&A, Audio

May 18, 2026

America’s Closing Door: Where Do Cuban Migrants Go Now?

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.

Articles

May 14, 2026

Brazilian Immigrants in the United States

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.

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.

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Immigration Policy & Law

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