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

Policy Briefs July 2021 Deepening Labor Migration Governance at a Time of Immobility: Lessons from Ghana and Senegal By Camille Le Coz and Kate Hooper	Multimedia July 21, 2021 Supporting Unaccompanied Children in the U.S. Communities Where They Live
Reports July 2021 Future Scenarios for Global Mobility in the Shadow of Pandemic By Meghan Benton	Articles July 21, 2021 As Migration and Trade Increase between China and Africa, Traders at Both Ends Often Face Precarity By Daouda Cissé
Reports July 2021 Solidarity in Isolation? Social Cohesion at a Time of Physical Distance By Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan and Aliyyah Ahad	Multimedia June 24, 2021 Brain Waste among Highly Skilled Immigrants in the United States: A Persistent Problem with Increasing Costs
Multimedia June 16, 2021 A First Step Towards Equity for Dual Language Learners in Early Childhood Systems: Identifying Their Language Needs and Characteristics	Commentaries June 2021 A Solvable Challenge: Improving Asylee Access to Health and Other Benefits By Essey Workie, Mark Greenberg and Lillie Hinkle

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Policy Briefs July 2016 The Immigration Act of 1990: Unfinished Business a Quarter-Century Later By Muzaffar Chishti and Stephen Yale-Loehr	Reports June 2016 What’s So Special about Canada? Understanding the Resilience of Immigration and Multiculturalism By Daniel Hiebert
Reports June 2016 Understanding the Creation of Public Consensus: Migration and Integration in Germany, 2005 to 2015 By Friedrich Heckmann	Reports May 2016 Maintaining Public Trust in the Governance of Migration By Demetrios G. Papademetriou
Reports May 2016 Engaging the Anxious Middle on Immigration Reform: Evidence from the UK Debate By Sunder Katwala and Will Somerville	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
Fact Sheets April 2016 Immigrants and WIOA Services: Comparison of Sociodemographic Characteristics of Native- and Foreign-Born Adults in the United States By Margie McHugh and Madeleine Morawski	Reports March 2016 Challenges in Accessing Early Childhood Education and Care for Children in Refugee Families in Massachusetts By Jeff Gross and Christine Ntagengwa

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Feature

July 25, 2018

For Vulnerable Immigrant Children, A Longstanding Path to Protection Narrows

Since fiscal year 2010, more than 70,000 immigrant children have applied for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status, a pathway to a green card for youth who have been abused or neglected by their parents. Based on interviews with SIJ applicants, judges, and attorneys, this article provides an overview of the SIJ program and identifies limitations on access.

Feature

July 18, 2018

A South American Migration Crisis: Venezuelan Outflows Test Neighbors' Hospitality

The deepening of Venezuela's social, economic, and political implosion has resulted in the fastest movement of people across borders in Latin American history. Neighboring countries have responded with a patchwork of policy measures, though the scale and growing diversity of Venezuelan arrivals have challenged regional actors, as this article explores.

Policy Beat

June 29, 2018

In Upholding Travel Ban, Supreme Court Endorses Presidential Authority While Leaving Door Open for Future Challenges

Though the Supreme Court handed the Trump administration a major victory by upholding its much-contested travel ban, less noted has been the fact that the ruling left an opening for future challenges to the policy of barring groups of foreign nationals from the country. This Policy Beat explores the evolution of the travel ban, the justices' arguments for and against, and changes in visa grants from travel-ban countries.

Spotlight

June 7, 2018

Canadian Immigrants in the United States

Though small, the population of Canadians in the United States is quite diverse, and includes students, highly skilled professionals on H-1B or NAFTA visas, family migrants, and retirees. Canadian immigrants have much higher educational attainment and incomes than the native- and overall foreign-born populations. This article offers an interesting data snapshot of Canadians in the United States.

A boy peers through fencing at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Policy Beat

May 24, 2018

Family Separation and “Zero-Tolerance” Policies Rolled Out to Stem Unwanted Migrants, But May Face Challenges

Frustrated by an uptick in migrant apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border in recent months, the Trump administration unveiled a set of sweeping changes, aiming to prosecute for federal immigration crimes every migrant apprehended crossing illegally. The policy will likely be hindered by legal challenges and capacity limitations, as this article explores.

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EVENTPH 2014.10.21 11th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conf. USCIS Director Leon Rodriguez

Video, Audio

October 21, 2014

11th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference

This conference, keynoted by USCIS Director León Rodríguez, featured panels on local immigrant integration policies; expected executive action on immigration; the treatment of unaccompanied children from Central America; and innovations in government-funded legal counsel and accelerated court cases.

EVENTPH 2014.10.16 The U.S. Deportation System Trends from a Decade of Data

Video, Audio

October 16, 2014

The U.S. Deportation System: Trends from a Decade of Data

MPI researchers, along with analysts from the Government Accountability Office and American Immigration Council, discuss the findings from an MPI report that examines the 3.7 million deportations that have occurred in the United States since establishment of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003, as well as lessons that can be learned for future policy and possible administrative action.

EventPH 2014.9.22 Leadership Visions with USCBP from event

Video, Audio

September 22, 2014

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Discusses His Vision for the Agency

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske, who assumed his duties in 2014, lays out his vision and discusses his priorities for the agency as part of MPI's Leadership Visions series.

EVENTPH 2014.9.18 Unpacking the Links between Segregation, Community Cohesion, and Opportunity (YouTube)

Video

September 18, 2014

Unpacking the Links between Segregation, Community Cohesion, and Opportunity: A Transatlantic Discussion

In this webinar, experts and policymakers from Europe and the United States discuss the relationship between immigration, residential segregation, community relations, and economic opportunities.

EVENTPH 2014.9.16 DACA DREAM ED REQ. WEBINAR (USDOEDSC_0079 (1))

Audio

September 16, 2014

Realizing the DACA and DREAM Promise: Actions to Support Educational Attainment of Potentially Eligible Immigrant Youth

A discussion and report release on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, how its educational requirements may be impacting application rates, and recommendations for overcoming the education-success challenges that key subgroups of DACA-DREAM youth face.

Recent Activity

Reports

September 2014

Rotterdam: A Long-Time Port of Call and Home to Immigrants

A port city connecting the Netherlands with major trading partners, Rotterdam is, and has long been, home to migrants from around the globe. But the recent rise in temporary forms of migration presents new challenges for Rotterdam’s integration policy.

Reports

September 2014

Diploma, Please: Promoting Educational Attainment for DACA- and Potential DREAM Act-Eligible Youth

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is unprecedented in the scope of its educational requirements. This report provides sociodemographic snapshots of three key DACA groups, explores the challenges to their educational success, and offers recommendations for educators and other stakeholders looking to support the educational attainment of these young unauthorized immigrants.

Reports

September 2014

Fostering an Inclusive Identity Where It Matters Most: At the Local Level (Transatlantic Council Statement)

In April 2014, MPI's Transatlantic Council on Migration convened an extraordinary meeting with city-level officials from Rotterdam to discuss the potential that "urban citizenship" offers for building new identities at the local level. This Council Statement focuses on the identity crisis that many cities are facing and offers strategies to unite cities, expand services for diverse groups, and foster community cohesion.

Commentaries

September 2014

County-Level View of DACA Population Finds Surprising Amount of Ethnic & Enrollment Diversity

County- and state-level data examining the populations potentially eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program show an interesting level of ethnic and enrollment diversity that is obscured when examining national-level findings. This commentary examines a few of the findings learned from the new MPI profiles of DACA populations in 36 counties, which are accessible via an online data tool.

Reports

September 2014

Decentralising Immigrant Integration: Denmark’s Mainstreaming Initiatives in Employment, Education, and Social Affairs

This report examines the development of immigrant integration policies in Denmark over the past 15 years, specifically focusing on the centralization of Danish integration policies and exploring differences between policy frameworks at national and local levels, where certain areas have developed less restrictive and more accommodating policy responses to immigrant integration.

Reports

September 2014

Building Inclusive Cities: Challenges in the Multilevel Governance of Immigrant Integration in Europe

As the initial point of contact for most immigrants, cities see firsthand how both local and national policies affect newcomers and minorities. This report explores the steps cities across Europe are taking to be more inclusive of immigrants and minorities and how these efforts relate to national policies.

Reports

September 2014

Immigrant Civic Integration and Service Access Initiatives: City-Sized Solutions for City-Sized Needs

Large immigration flows challenge destination cities to find innovative ways to meet the needs of immigrant residents and promote their integration. This report examines the successful integration strategies of five U.S. cities—Cupertino and San Francisco, CA; Littleton, CO; New York City; and Seattle—and offers lessons for local governments looking to implement their own initiatives.

Reports

September 2014

Residential Segregation: A Transatlantic Analysis

Where does residential segregation come from, and why does it vary significantly across minority groups and country contexts? This report explores these questions and examines the policy tools that lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic have used to address the segregation of immigrant groups.

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