E.g., 09/21/2023
E.g., 09/21/2023
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.

Graphic image of man's hand touching screen with word skills
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

HonduranPride
Articles
August 15, 2019
Inmigrantes centroamericanos en los Estados Unidos
By Allison O’Connor, Jeanne Batalova y Jessica Bolter
HonduranPride
Articles
August 15, 2019
Central American Immigrants in the United States
By Allison O’Connor, Jeanne Batalova, and Jessica Bolter
Coverthumb Orrenius Zavodny Gullo LaborMarket
Policy Briefs
August 2019
How Does Immigration Fit into the Future of the U.S. Labor Market?
By  Pia M. Orrenius, Madeline Zavodny and Stephanie Gullo
Coverthumb MPI Holzer Future US Labor Market
Policy Briefs
August 2019
Immigration and the U.S. Labor Market: A Look Ahead
By  Harry J. Holzer
SNAP commentary USDA Flickr
Commentaries
August 2019
Millions Will Feel Chilling Effects of U.S. Public-Charge Rule That Is Also Likely to Reshape Legal Immigration
By  Jeanne Batalova, Michael Fix and Mark Greenberg
Coverthumb RethinkingImmigration ConceptNote
Policy Briefs
August 2019
Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy: New Realities Call for New Answers
By  Doris Meissner
Coverthumb Border ControltoCrisis Report 2019
Reports
August 2019
From Control to Crisis: Changing Trends and Policies Reshaping U.S.-Mexico Border Enforcement
By  Randy Capps, Doris Meissner, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Jessica Bolter and Sarah Pierce
Coverthumb TCM Competitiveness CouncilStatement
Reports
July 2019
Equipping Immigrant Selection Systems for a Changing World of Work (Transatlantic Council Statement)
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Meghan Benton and Kate Hooper

Pages

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Books
June 2011
Migration and the Great Recession: The Transatlantic Experience
Cover EUI Points
Reports
June 2011
Rethinking Points Systems and Employer-Selected Immigration
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou and Madeleine Sumption
cover migrationdevelopment
Reports
June 2011
Migration and Development: Policy Perspectives from the United States
By  Aaron Terrazas
cover fosteringcompetition
Reports
June 2011
The Role of Immigration in Fostering Competitiveness in the United States
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou and Madeleine Sumption
cover emergingsecurity
Reports
June 2011
Emerging Transatlantic Security Dilemmas in Border Management
By  Elizabeth Collett
cover newstreams
Reports
June 2011
New Streams: Black African Migration to the United States
By  Randy Capps, Kristen McCabe and Michael Fix
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Reports
June 2011
Eight Policies to Boost the Economic Contribution of Employment-Based Immigration
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou and Madeleine Sumption
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Reports
June 2011
Opportunities for Transatlantic Cooperation on International Migration
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou and Madeleine Sumption

Pages

Zika PAHO Flickr
Feature
July 7, 2016
When Outbreaks Go Global: Migration and Public Health in a Time of Zika

News of the Zika virus outbreak in Latin America has raised alarm bells, resulting in scattered calls for tighter restrictions on international entries to the United States. Evidence shows, however, that closing borders and restrictions on international travel tend to have little impact on the spread of infectious diseases. This feature article explores the linkages between public health and migration in the Americas.

DAPASCOTUS VictoriaPickering Flickr
Policy Beat
June 29, 2016
Supreme Court DAPA Ruling a Blow to Obama Administration, Moves Immigration Back to Political Realm

A split ruling by the Supreme Court in United States v. Texas has dealt a hard blow to the Obama administration's signature deferred action programs. While the decision makes it unlikely the DAPA program and DACA expansion will be implemented in their current form, the outcome at the high court may have opened a path for renewed movement on immigration policy changes in Congress, as this article explores.

LittleSaigon JeremyBrooks Flickr
Spotlight
June 8, 2016
Vietnamese Immigrants in the United States

Now comprising the sixth largest foreign-born group in the country, the Vietnamese immigrant population in the United States has grown significantly since the end of the Vietnam War. Learn more about this population with the latest data in this Spotlight article.

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Policy Beat
May 25, 2016
Controversial EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program Faces Possibility of Overhaul

While the EB-5 investor visa program from inception has had its share of critics, its sharp expansion over a short period of time—combined with the emergence of several high-profile controversies—has markedly increased scrutiny, and thus the possibility of legislative reform. This Policy Beat outlines the debate surrounding the EB-5 program and possible changes awaiting the program in Congress.

IntlStudents SouthernArkansasU Flickr
Spotlight
May 12, 2016
International Students in the United States

The number of international students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities has risen steadily since the mid-20th century. Today, the United States represents the top destination for international students worldwide. Learn more about where these students come from, which universities they attend, and the subjects they study in this Spotlight article.

Pages

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multimedia ExecAction
Video, Audio
March 14, 2011

Steps to Fix the U.S. Immigration System: What Can the Administration Do?

This discussion focuses on the MPI report, "Executive Action on Immigration: Six Ways to Make the System Work Better," which outlines administrative actions that can be implemented to improve the immigration system.

multimedia 287g
Video, Audio
January 31, 2011

Delegation and Divergence: 287(g) State and Local Immigration Enforcement

287(g) programs have surged into the public consciousness in recent years. Now operating in 72 jurisdictions, the 287(g) program authorizes state and local law enforcement officers to screen people for immigration status, issue detainers to hold unauthorized immigrants on immigration violations, and begin the process of their removal from the United States.

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Video, Audio
January 13, 2011

Does Low-Skilled Immigration Hurt the U.S. Economy? Assessing the Evidence

In a report by MPI's Labor Markets Initiative, noted economist and Georgetown University Public Policy Institute Professor Harry J. Holzer examines the economic reasoning and research on these questions and looks at the policy options that shape the impact of less-skilled immigration on the economy. The discussion is on what policy reform would best serve native-born American workers, consumers, and employers, as well as the overall U.S. economy.

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Video
November 30, 2010

Diasporas: New Partners in Global Development Policy

Over the past year, MPI has partnered with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to examine how diasporas contribute to – or detract from - development efforts in their countries of origin. MPI and USAID have published an edited volume of the research. Please join us for the release of the book where speakers will discuss new thinking on the role of diaspora engagement in U.S. foreign and development policy.
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Video, Audio
October 14, 2010

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Alan Bersin Discusses His Vision for CBP

CBP Commissioner Alan Bersin details his agenda for his agency and discusses border enforcement, the Secure Border Initiative, drug trafficking, and other topics in this wide-ranging conversation with MPI Senior Fellow Doris Meissner.

Pages

Recent Activity

Articles
August 15, 2019

Inmigrantes centroamericanos en los Estados Unidos

Si bien se ha prestado mucha atención a los centroamericanos recién llegados a la frontera entre los Estados Unidos y México, casi la mitad de los aproximadamente 3.5 millones que vivían en los Estados Unidos en 2017 llegaron antes de 2000. Aproximadamente un tercio son ciudadanos estadounidenses y tienden a participar en la fuerza laboral con más frecuencia que otros extranjeros y estadounidenses. Descubra más en este artículo lleno de datos.

Articles
August 15, 2019

Central American Immigrants in the United States

While much attention has been paid to recent Central American arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border, nearly half of the approximately 3.5 million Central Americans resident in the United States in 2017 arrived before 2000. About one-third are naturalized U.S. citizens, and they tend to participate in the labor force at a higher rate than foreign- and U.S.-born adults. Discover more about this population in this data-rich article.

Policy Briefs
August 2019

How Does Immigration Fit into the Future of the U.S. Labor Market?

The U.S. economy is facing an uncertain future as an aging workforce, stagnating labor force participation, skill mismatches, and automation reshape the labor market. This issue brief explores these forces and the role that immigration could play in supporting future U.S. economic growth. It also examines how immigration affects workers already in the country, both native born and immigrant.

Policy Briefs
August 2019

Immigration and the U.S. Labor Market: A Look Ahead

In the coming decades, the U.S. labor market will undergo major transformation. Automation, an aging workforce, and alternative staffing practices will change how, where, and by whom work is done. This think piece, by a former chief economist for the U.S. Labor Department, explores how immigrant workers fit into this changing landscape, and what immigration and workforce policy changes could help maximize their contributions to the U.S. economy.

Commentaries
August 2019

Millions Will Feel Chilling Effects of U.S. Public-Charge Rule That Is Also Likely to Reshape Legal Immigration

The public-charge rule issued by the Trump administration in August 2019 will have profound effects on future immigration and on use of public benefits by millions of legal noncitizens and their U.S.-citizen family members. Complex standards for determining when an immigrant is likely to become a public charge could cause a significant share of the nearly 23 million noncitizens and U.S. citizens in benefits-using immigrant families to disenroll, as this commentary explains.

Policy Briefs
August 2019

Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy: New Realities Call for New Answers

The U.S. immigration system is in desperate need of an overhaul. What has been missing is an alternate vision for a path forward that treats immigration as a strategic resource while also accounting for heightened security and rule-of-law imperatives, which together can further U.S. interests, values, and democratic principles as a society. This concept note outlines a new MPI initiative, Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy, that seeks to fill this gap.

Reports
August 2019

From Control to Crisis: Changing Trends and Policies Reshaping U.S.-Mexico Border Enforcement

How did the U.S. border enforcement picture go in the span of two years from the lowest levels of illegal immigration since 1971 to a spiraling border security and humanitarian crisis? This report draws on enforcement and other data as well as analysis of changing migration trends and policies to tell this story. The authors outline key elements for a new strategy that can succeed over the long term.

Reports
July 2019

Equipping Immigrant Selection Systems for a Changing World of Work (Transatlantic Council Statement)

As technological developments—from automation to artificial intelligence and machine learning—reshape the world of work, governments face the challenge of updating how they attract, select, and retain economic-stream immigrants. This report, concluding a series on building migration systems for a new age of economic competitiveness, lays out the key considerations for "future-proofing" immigrant selection systems.

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