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 October 2020 Rethinking the U.S.-Mexico Border Immigration Enforcement System: A Policy Road Map By Doris Meissner	Articles October 16, 2020 Indian Immigrants in the United States By Mary Hanna and Jeanne Batalova
Commentaries October 2020 Broad and Blunt, the Trump Administration’s H-1B Changes Miss the Opportunity for Real Reform By Sarah Pierce	Policy Briefs October 2020 Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Families through Home Visiting: Innovative State and Local Approaches By Caitlin Katsiaficas
Articles October 1, 2020 The U.S. Presidential Campaign Cements Political Parties’ Deepening Schism on Immigration By Muzaffar Chishti and Jessica Bolter	Reports September 2020 Driving Migrant Inclusion through Social Innovation: Lessons for Cities in a Pandemic By Liam Patuzzi
Policy Briefs September 2020 Brexit on the Backburner: Citizens’ Rights and the Implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement in a Pandemic By Aliyyah Ahad and Monica Andriescu	Articles September 16, 2020 College-Educated Immigrants in the United States By Kira Olsen-Medina and Jeanne Batalova

Pages

Reports August 2015 In-Country Processing in Central America: A Piece of the Puzzle By Faye Hipsman and Doris Meissner	Policy Briefs July 2015 Irregular Maritime Migration in the Bay of Bengal: The Challenges of Protection, Management, and Cooperation By Kathleen Newland
Reports July 2015 Understanding the Potential Impact of Executive Action on Immigration Enforcement By Marc R. Rosenblum	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
Reports June 2015 Into the Mainstream: Rethinking Public Services for Diverse and Mobile Populations By Meghan Benton, Helen McCarthy and Elizabeth Collett	Reports June 2015 Beyond Asylum: Rethinking Protection Policies to Meet Sharply Escalating Needs (Transatlantic Council Statement) By Demetrios G. Papademetriou
Reports May 2015 From Refugee to Migrant? Labor Mobility's Protection Potential By Katy Long	Reports May 2015 Rethinking Global Protection: New Channels, New Tools By Kathleen Newland

Pages

Feature

November 1, 2017

Building a Mosaic: The Evolution of Canada’s Approach to Immigrant Integration

Even as the United States and countries in Europe have made a right turn on immigration in recent years, Canada has remained a largely welcoming country. Underlying this resilience is an approach to immigration focused on active management and refinement of policies as well as long-term economic, social, and political integration, as this article explores.

Policy Beat

October 19, 2017

Will White House Immigration Wish List Tank Emerging DREAMer Momentum in Congress?

The Trump administration has released a list of hardline immigration demands—including border wall funding, restrictions on federal grants to “sanctuary” cities, and cuts to legal immigration—in exchange for legislation protecting DREAMers. This article examines the prospects for these proposals and more broadly for a legislative fix to resolve the status of unauthorized immigrants brought to the United States as children.

Feature

October 11, 2017

Criminalizing Irregular Migrant Labor: Thailand’s Crackdown in Context

Thailand has become a key destination for migrant workers, primarily from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. Many lack authorization, however, and as their numbers have grown, so has the government's intent in regulating their movement—sometimes provoking unintended results. This article explores recent patterns in labor migration to Thailand and examines the likely impacts of a 2017 decree criminalizing illegal employment.

Spotlight

September 29, 2017

Chinese Immigrants in the United States

The Chinese represent the third-largest immigrant population in the United States, their numbers having grown rapidly in recent decades. The population is atypical in some respects: Far more highly educated and likely to have come via student and employment pathways than the overall U.S. foreign-born population. This article offers key data on Chinese immigrants, including top destinations, incomes, and English proficiency.

ChinaBusinessman ChrisMarchant Flickr Edit

Feature

September 20, 2017

Millionaire Emigration: The Allure of Investor Visas among China’s Elite

Over the past decade, immigrant investor programs have proliferated around the world, and Chinese applicants have dominated in a number of countries. In 2015, about 9,000 Chinese millionaires moved to other countries, many through so-called golden visa programs. This article explores the social and cultural factors driving well-off Chinese to move abroad and examines perceptions of elite emigration in China.

Pages

EVENTPH 2014.5.14 State Level Initiatives to Address Brain Waste

Audio

May 14, 2014

State-Level Initiatives to Address Brain Waste Among Highly Educated Immigrants and Refugees

A discussion of data compiled by MPI on "brain waste" among foreign-trained nurses, engineers, and teachers, with updates on three state-level initiatives—in Illinois, Massachusetts, and Washington State—that are working to analyze and address challenges faced by immigrants and refugees with degrees and training in these fields.

EventPH 2014.4.29 The Deportation Story 3

Video, Audio

April 29, 2014

The Deportation Story: Deporter-in-Chief, Releaser-in-Chief, or Reformer-in-Chief?

This MPI panel discussion examines the U.S. deportation system with analysis on migrant apprehensions, removals, returns, and criminal prosecutions, and launches the report, "The Deportation Dilemma: Reconciling Tough and Humane Enforcement."

EventPH 2014.3.20 Education for the Future Georgia Gwinnett College

Audio

March 20, 2014

Education for the Future: Extending Georgia’s High School and College Reforms to its Growing Immigrant Population

MPI experts, along with representatives from Gwinnett County Public Schools and the University of Georgia's Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education, discuss the educational experiences of Georgia’s first- and second-generation immigrant youth and where Georgia’s ambitious education reforms have met—or failed to meet—the needs of this growing population.

EventPH 2014.03.20 Children on the Run An Analysis of First Hand Accounts from Children Fleeing Central America

Video, Audio

March 12, 2014

Children on the Run: An Analysis of First-Hand Accounts from Children Fleeing Central America

This event with UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres features findings from UNHCR’s report, Children on the Run, which examines the increasing numbers of children from Central America and Mexico who head off alone to find refuge in the United States, fleeing violence, insecurity, and abuse.

EventPH 2014.02.27 A Treacherous Journey Child Migrants Navigating the U.S. Immigration System

Video, Audio

February 27, 2014

A Treacherous Journey: Child Migrants Navigating the U.S. Immigration System

This panel discussion on unaccompanied minors focuses on a report by Kids in Need of Defense and the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies at UC Hastings College of the Law, whose primary conclusion is that children face a U.S. immigration system created for adults that is not required to consider the child’s best interests.

Recent Activity

Policy Briefs

October 2020

Rethinking the U.S.-Mexico Border Immigration Enforcement System: A Policy Road Map

Consistent with its world view of immigration as threat, the Trump administration has shut down meaningful access to asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border, expelled more than 205,000 arrivals during the pandemic, and constructed hundreds of miles of border barriers. Yet these strategies cannot succeed over the long term, given realities. This road map sketches what an effective border management system would look like.

Articles

October 16, 2020

Indian Immigrants in the United States

There are 2.7 million Indian immigrants in the United States, making them the second-largest immigrant group after Mexicans. This number has increased dramatically in recent years, growing 13-fold between 1980 and 2019. This article provides an overview of this population, which is more highly educated, more likely to work in management positions, and higher-earning than the U.S. born and overall immigrant population.

Commentaries

October 2020

Broad and Blunt, the Trump Administration’s H-1B Changes Miss the Opportunity for Real Reform

The Trump administration's changes to the H-1B visa program are the most significant in three decades, promising to end the practice of replacing U.S. workers with highly skilled immigrants. While the problems the administration has identified and the interest in protecting U.S. workers are legitimate ones, its approach may cripple the H-1B program itself, as this commentary explains.

Policy Briefs

October 2020

Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Families through Home Visiting: Innovative State and Local Approaches

Although proven effective in supporting young children and their caretakers, home visiting programs are less likely to see the enrollment of immigrant and refugee families. This brief looks at the strategies some states and counties are using to boost the equity and quality of their home visiting services for these at-risk families, from rethinking how they assess the needs of resident families, to involving communities in program design and service provision.

Articles

October 1, 2020

The U.S. Presidential Campaign Cements Political Parties’ Deepening Schism on Immigration

In the United States, Republicans and Democrats are deeply divided on immigration. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden have offered sharply diverging policy positions, and the outcome of the election is sure to have profound consequences for the U.S. immigration system. Yet this partisan divide is relatively new. Just two decades ago, the parties were much more united on immigrants’ role in the U.S. economy and society.

Reports

September 2020

Driving Migrant Inclusion through Social Innovation: Lessons for Cities in a Pandemic

Since COVID-19 hit cities across Europe, many have struggled with how to sustain support for migrant inclusion in a time of social-distancing orders and likely budget cuts. This report explores how municipalities and their partners used social innovation to meet the challenges of the 2015–16 spike in arrivals of asylum seekers and migrants, and how those experiences can help localities weather the pandemic and put communities at the center of recovery efforts.

Policy Briefs

September 2020

Brexit on the Backburner: Citizens’ Rights and the Implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement in a Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic hit just weeks after the United Kingdom formally left the European Union, delaying plans to implement the withdrawal agreement’s provisions on citizens’ rights. This policy brief assesses the progress countries have made in setting up systems to adjust the status of mobile EU and UK nationals, as well as steps countries can take to make up for lost time.

Articles

September 16, 2020

College-Educated Immigrants in the United States

Nearly 13 million immigrants have a four-year college degree or better. But these highly educated immigrants are not spread evenly throughout the labor market. They make up disproportionate shares of certain jobs, especially in the science and technology fields, accounting for 45 percent of software developers, 42 percent of physical scientists, and 29 percent of physicians. Yet there are signs that the trends of this population might be changing, as this article explores.

Programs

Topics see all >

Regions see all >

Data

Featured Publication

Programs

You are here

Immigration Policy & Law

Recent Activity

Pages

Pages

Pages

Pages

Recent Activity

Pages