E.g., 02/03/2023
E.g., 02/03/2023
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.

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

BorderWall CBP ManiAlbrecht
Commentaries
January 2019
A Wall Cannot Fix Problems at Border; Smart Solutions for Asylum Crisis Can
By  Doris Meissner and Sarah Pierce
Top10 2018 No2 AfD
Articles
December 20, 2018
Pushing Migration to the Forefront, Populists Make New Strides
By Michelle Mittelstadt
U.S. Marine secures barbed-wire fencing at the California-Mexico border.
Articles
December 19, 2018
Shaping a Narrative of "Crisis" at Border, Trump Administration Takes Muscular Action
By Michelle Mittelstadt
AfghanMotherChildUNHCR MathiasDepardon
Articles
December 18, 2018
Children on the Frontlines
By Michelle Mittelstadt
Sign left by No More Deaths activists in Arizona
Articles
December 17, 2018
Pushback to the Resistance: Criminalization of Humanitarian Actors Aiding Migrants Rises
By Alessandro Reggio and Michelle Mittelstadt
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Multimedia
December 13, 2018
Exploring the Potential of Two-Generation Strategies in Refugee Integration
MoriaReceptionCenter
Articles
December 13, 2018
Asylum Hangover? Governments Seek to Narrow Avenues for Humanitarian Protection
By Sara Staedicke and Michelle Mittelstadt
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Reports
December 2018
Promoting Refugee Integration in Challenging Times: The Potential of Two-Generation Strategies
By  Mark Greenberg, Julia Gelatt, Jessica Bolter, Essey Workie and Isabelle Charo

Pages

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Books
November 2010
Prioritizing Integration
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Policy Briefs
November 2010
Structuring and Implementing an Immigrant Legalization Program: Registration as the First Step
By  Donald M. Kerwin and Laureen Laglagaron
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Reports
October 2010
Migration and Immigrants Two Years after the Financial Collapse: Where Do We Stand?
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Madeleine Sumption and Aaron Terrazas
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Reports
September 2010
Diaspora Philanthropy: Private Giving and Public Policy
By  Kathleen Newland, Aaron Terrazas and Roberto Munster
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Reports
September 2010
Still an Hourglass? Immigrant Workers in Middle-Skilled Jobs
By  Randy Capps and Michael Fix
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Reports
September 2010
Heritage Tourism and Nostalgia Trade: A Diaspora Niche in the Development Landscape
By  Kathleen Newland and Carylanna Taylor
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Policy Briefs
September 2010
The Demographic Impacts of Repealing Birthright Citizenship
By  Michael Fix and Jennifer Van Hook
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Reports
August 2010
Diaspora Investment in Developing and Emerging Country Capital Markets: Patterns and Prospects
By  Aaron Terrazas

Pages

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Spotlight
July 8, 2015
The Limited English Proficient Population in the United States in 2013

In 2013, more than 25 million people in the United States reported limited English proficiency (LEP), an 80 percent increase since 1990. The LEP population, the majority of which is immigrant, is generally less educated and more likely to live in poverty than the English-proficient population. This Spotlight explores key indicators of the LEP population, both U.S. and foreign born, including geographic distribution, language diversity, and employment.

Youngimmigrantslineupdeportation WBEZ flickr
Policy Beat
June 25, 2015
Quick Resolution of Challenge over Obama Administration Deportation Relief Programs Is Ever Less Likely
As legal challenges continue to impede President Obama's deferred action programs to protect millions of unauthorized immigrants from deportation, it is becoming increasingly clear that the window of opportunity for implementation before the 2016 election is growing ever narrower. Even as advocates continue mobilizing immigrants to apply, attention is shifting to other new policies announced by the president last November.
Dancingintheparkinglot yooperann Flickr
Spotlight
June 3, 2015
Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants in the United States

Immigration to the United States from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has increased in recent years, rising to a total population of 1.02 million in 2013. Immigrants from the region come from a diverse range of countries and cultures. This data Spotlight delves into the variations among MENA groups on key socioeconomic indicators, from geographic distribution and language proficiency to employment, immigration pathways, and naturalization.

MoreSoftwareEngineers1 SaadAkhtar Flickr
Policy Beat
May 21, 2015
In Historic Shift, New Migration Flows from Mexico Fall Below Those from China and India
Mexico has lost its long-held status as the top source country of new immigrants to the United States, dropping to third place behind China and India. This historic shift is remarkable for the rapid decline in Mexican inflows combined with a steady rise in Asian immigration, largely through high-skilled visa programs. This Policy Beat explores the reasons behind these trends and their potential impact on U.S. demographics.
DiwaliinCupertino JitzeCouperus Flickr
Spotlight
May 6, 2015
Indian Immigrants in the United States

Indian immigrants represent the second-largest origin group in the United States, accounting for 4.7 percent of the total foreign-born population. Generally high-skilled and highly educated, more than half of Indian immigrants have arrived since 2000 and largely attain green cards through employment-based pathways. Indians account for 70 percent of H-1B petitions and are the second-largest group of international students in the United States.

Pages

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multimedia JohnMorton
Video
January 25, 2010

DHS Assistant Secretary John Morton discusses his vision for ICE

During this Leadership Visions address, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary John Morton offered his perspectives on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, its mission, and its future.

multimedia IllegalImmEffectsEconomy
Video, Audio
December 2, 2009

Illegal Immigration's Effects on the U.S. Economy and Policy

Illegal immigration's overall impact on the U.S. economy is negligible, despite clear benefits for employers and unauthorized immigrants and slightly depressed wages for low-skilled native workers, according to UCSD Professor of Economics Gordon Hanson.

multimedia Talent,Comp,Mig
Video
October 28, 2009

Talent, Competitiveness, and Migration

This book release and discussion focused on the accumulation of talent and its effects on economic growth and migration trends.
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Video
September 10, 2009

Immigrant Detention: Can ICE Meet Its Legal Imperatives and Case Management Responsibilities?

A panel discussion exploring whether ICE is capable of meeting legal standards and manage its detention system with ICE's Dora Schriro, Detention Watch Network's Andrea Black, and MPI expert Donald Kerwin.
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Audio
July 30, 2009

The Next Generation of E-Verify: Getting Employer Verification Right

This webinar examines the E-Verify system, offering short- and long-term recommendations for improving gaps in employment verification and addressing an "employer-centric" design that exacerbates existing problems.

Pages

Recent Activity

Commentaries
January 2019

A Wall Cannot Fix Problems at Border; Smart Solutions for Asylum Crisis Can

What President Trump calls a border crisis is in fact a crisis in the asylum system—one worsened at every turn by his administration’s harsh policies and rhetoric. Rather than spend $5.7 billion on a wall, it would be far more effective to use the money to retool an overwhelmed asylum system, adapt outmatched border enforcement infrastructure to respond to the changing composition of arrivals, and work cooperatively with Mexico to tackle the factors propelling Central Americans to flee.

Articles
December 20, 2018

Pushing Migration to the Forefront, Populists Make New Strides

2018 proved a banner year for far-right populist movements in Europe and the Americas. They claimed the presidency of Brazil, sparked the collapse of the Belgian government, and—whether in or out of office—put a harder-edged stamp on migration and asylum policies in Austria, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Sweden, and beyond.

Articles
December 19, 2018

Shaping a Narrative of "Crisis" at Border, Trump Administration Takes Muscular Action

The Trump administration took sweeping action in 2018 to slow legal immigration, make life harder for some immigrants already in the United States, rebuff would-be asylum seekers, and reduce refugee resettlement. Shaping a narrative of crisis at the border, the administration significantly changed the U.S. asylum system, deployed troops and tear gas, and separated families—yet Central American migrants continued to arrive.

Articles
December 18, 2018

Children on the Frontlines

Hardline migration and asylum policies in the United States and Australia in 2018 hit turbulence when their effects on the most vulnerable—young children—provoked widespread public revulsion and prompted a retreat, at least temporarily. Still, public outcry over the treatment of child migrants and asylum seekers often runs up against the intractability of the problems facing governments and the lack of good solutions.

Articles
December 17, 2018

Pushback to the Resistance: Criminalization of Humanitarian Actors Aiding Migrants Rises

As industrialized countries are adopting harder-edge immigration and asylum policies to deal with real and perceived crises, humanitarian actors have sought to blunt the effects of those policies by launching rescue missions at sea, rendering direct aid to migrants in need, and offering legal assistance. A concerted pushback to this resistance emerged in 2018, with governments using legislative, legal, and other tools to fight back.

Video, Audio, Webinars
December 13, 2018

Exploring the Potential of Two-Generation Strategies in Refugee Integration

On this webinar, MPI researchers and Utah and Colorado refugee coordinators explore promising practices to better serve refugee families, including education services for refugee youth, innovative efforts to secure better jobs for adult refugees, and other services designed to aid integration over time. They also discuss the potential for implementing and supporting two-generation approaches to refugee integration at a time when the system’s funding and capacity are in peril.  

Articles
December 13, 2018

Asylum Hangover? Governments Seek to Narrow Avenues for Humanitarian Protection

Faced with absorbing vast numbers of asylum seekers who headed to Europe during the 2015-16 migration crisis and the ongoing arrival of much smaller, but steady flows of Central Americans at the U.S.-Mexico border, EU Member States and the United States in 2018 took or explored significant steps to narrow asylum and harden policies.

Reports
December 2018

Promoting Refugee Integration in Challenging Times: The Potential of Two-Generation Strategies

At a time when the U.S. refugee resettlement system is facing unprecedented challenges, innovative and cost-effective tools for supporting refugee integration are in demand. This report explores how a two-generation approach to service provision could help all members of refugee families—from young children to working-age adults and the elderly—find their footing.

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