E.g., 11/30/2023
E.g., 11/30/2023
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.

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Commentaries

Canada's New Tech Talent Strategy Takes Aim at High-Skilled Immigrants in the United States

Canada’s Tech Talent Strategy is highly unusual for its explicit targeting of visa holders in another country. Opening a dedicated stream specifically for high-skilled immigrants in the United States who hold an H-1B visa is the latest salvo in a growing global competition for talent—one in which some countries are racing ahead of the United States in terms of policy dynamism, as this commentary explores.

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

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Commentaries
June 2018
Crisis at the Border? Not by the Numbers
By  Jessica Bolter and Doris Meissner
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Multimedia
June 5, 2018
Vanishing Frontiers: The Forces Driving Mexico and the United States Together
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Books
June 2018
Vanishing Frontiers: The Forces Driving Mexico and the United States Together
By  Andrew Selee
Canadian family on Canada Day
Articles
June 7, 2018
Canadian Immigrants in the United States
By Elijah Alperin and Jeanne Batalova
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Policy Briefs
May 2018
A Guide to Finding and Understanding English Learner Data
By  Julie Sugarman
A woman walks alongside a train in Mexico.
Articles
May 30, 2018
In Search of Safety, Growing Numbers of Women Flee Central America
By Jeffrey Hallock, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, and Michael Fix
A boy peers through fencing at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Articles
May 24, 2018
Family Separation and “Zero-Tolerance” Policies Rolled Out to Stem Unwanted Migrants, But May Face Challenges
By Muzaffar Chishti and Jessica Bolter
Chinese students
Articles
May 9, 2018
International Students in the United States
By Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova

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Reports
June 2006
Emigrantes estadounidenses: Migración de los jubilados de EE.UU. a México y Panamá
By  David Dixon, Julie Murray and Julia Gelatt
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Reports
February 2006
Countering Terrorist Mobility: Shaping an Operational Strategy
By  Susan Ginsburg
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Policy Briefs
January 2006
The Growing Connection Between Temporary and Permanent Immigration Systems
By  Jeanne Batalova
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Policy Briefs
January 2006
U.S. Employment-Based Admissions: Permanent and Temporary
By  Susan Martin
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Policy Briefs
January 2006
Comprehensive Legislation vs. Fundamental Reform: The Limits of Current Immigration Proposals
By  Marc R. Rosenblum
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Policy Briefs
January 2006
Temporary Worker Programs: A Patchwork Policy Response
By  Deborah W. Meyers
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Reports
January 2006
The New 'Boat People': Ensuring Safety and Determining Status
By  Joanne van Selm and Betsy Cooper
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Reports
December 2005
Blurring the Lines: A Profile of State and Local Police Enforcement of Immigration Law Using NCIC Database
By  Michael Wishnie and Annie Lai

Pages

Spotlight
November 20, 2013
Green-Card Holders and Legal Immigration to the United States

More than 1 million people became lawful permanent residents (LPRs) of the United States in 2012, with family-sponsored immigrants accounting for two-thirds of those gaining a green card. This Spotlight examines federal statistics on foreign nationals who gained LPR status during 2012.

Policy Beat
November 14, 2013
Alabama Settlement Marks Near End of a Chapter in State Immigration Enforcement Activism

With the state of Alabama's recent legal settlement ensuring that key portions of its highly contested immigration enforcement law will never take effect, an important chapter of heightened activism by states in immigration enforcement has drawn to a near close. This article explores Alabama's decision, which traces its roots to the Supreme Court's 2012 ruling in Arizona v. United States, as well as the Infosys civil settlement with federal prosecutors over its use of foreign workers, new refugee admission numbers, extension of Temporary Protected Status for Somalis, and more.

Spotlight
October 24, 2013
Naturalization Trends in the United States

About 757,000 immigrants took U.S. citizenship in 2012, a 9 percent increase from the year before. As of 2012, 46 percent of the nation’s 40.8 million immigrants were naturalized Americans. This article examines the latest naturalization data available for the United States, including historical trends, data by country of origin and state of residence, as well as socioeconomic characteristics of the 18.7 million naturalized U.S. citizens residing in the United States in 2012.

Policy Beat
October 17, 2013
As Immigration Reform Stalls in Congress, Activists Take a Page from the Civil-Rights Movement

While budget issues and the debt ceiling dominated the congressional agenda and public attention last week, thousands of activists in Washington were stepping up civil disobedience and mobilization tactics to pressure lawmakers into voting to overhaul the nation’s immigration system. This article explores this growing trend and its possible implications for immigration reform in the 113th Congress. It also provides an update on other national, state, and local developments in immigration policy.

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Spotlight
September 26, 2013
Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants in the United States

Immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region residing in the United States are part of a migration flow that dates back several decades. The highly diverse MENA immigrant population has grown from about 50,000 in 1920 to nearly 961,000 in 2012. This article examines the latest data on immigrants from the MENA region in the United States, including population size, geographic distribution, admission categories, and demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.

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Recent Activity

Commentaries
June 2018

Crisis at the Border? Not by the Numbers

Monthly apprehension statistics at the Southwest border have become a preoccupation for the Trump administration, which compares the 2018 numbers to 2017 and declares a crisis. Yet it was 2017, when the "Trump effect" temporarily paused illegal crossings, that was the outlier. Recent trends have reverted to the pattern seen in 2016, a result notable at a time of very low U.S. unemployment, as this commentary explores.

Video, Audio
June 5, 2018

Vanishing Frontiers: The Forces Driving Mexico and the United States Together

Marking the release of MPI President Andrew Selee's latest book, speakers explore emerging trends in migration, economic interdependence, technology innovation, and cultural exchange that are transforming the relationship between the United States and Mexico, and the policy implications of these changes for the future.

Books
June, 2018

Vanishing Frontiers: The Forces Driving Mexico and the United States Together

Wall or no wall, deeply intertwined social, economic, business, cultural, and personal relationships mean the U.S.-Mexico border is more like a seam than a barrier, weaving together two economies and cultures, as MPI President Andrew Selee sketches in this book, which draws from his travels and discussions with people from all walks of life in Mexico and the United States.

Articles
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.

Policy Briefs
May 2018

A Guide to Finding and Understanding English Learner Data

As states make more data about student outcomes and schools available online, it can be difficult to decide where to turn for information about English Learners (ELs). This guide breaks down common questions about finding and using student (and specifically EL) data. It also explores some common challenges data users may face.

Articles
May 30, 2018

In Search of Safety, Growing Numbers of Women Flee Central America

In recent years, women from Central America have begun to make up a greater share of migrant apprehensions in Mexico and at the U.S. Southwest border. Systemic insecurity, poverty, and corruption are among the factors driving women and others to flee. This article explores the increase in female migration from Central America and the challenges these women face on their journey.

Articles
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.

Articles
May 9, 2018

International Students in the United States

The United States has long been the top choice for international students from around the world, hosting about 1.1 million foreign students in higher education institutions in 2016-17. However, U.S. enrollment has slowed in recent years due to several factors. This article offers a data snapshot of the population of international students in the United States.

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