E.g., 06/16/2026
E.g., 06/16/2026
Civil Liberties

Civil Liberties

_CivilLiberties

In the post-9/11 era, immigration policy increasingly has intersected with civil liberties and national security imperatives, with significant implications for law enforcement and intelligence agencies as they share more information with each other and with allied governments as well as for immigrants and immigrant communities. The research here examines the increased use of interoperable databases, expanded international information-sharing partnerships, and the civil liberties implications of the increased nexus between immigration enforcement agencies and those in the criminal law enforcement and intelligence communities.

Recent Activity

Federal officers and protesters in Portland, Oregon
Articles
February 26, 2026
Escalation of ICE Operations Emboldens State and Local Lawmakers to Constrain Its Operations
By Muzaffar Chishti and Kathleen Bush-Joseph
President Trump and Secretary Noem visit Alligator Alcatraz
Multimedia
January 13, 2026
Beyond “Shock and Awe”: Immigration Actions in the First Year under Trump 2.0
President Donald Trump addresses the nation.
Articles
January 13, 2026
Unleashing Power in New Ways: Immigration in the First Year of Trump 2.0
By Muzaffar Chishti, Kathleen Bush-Joseph, and Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh
Families from Venezuela in Trinidad and Tobago.
Articles
December 11, 2025
Trinidad and Tobago Grapples with Venezuelan Migrants in a Complex Environment
By Timothy Affonso and Sharifa Simon-Roberts
People at the Eloy immigrant detention facility.
Articles
October 29, 2025
U.S. Immigrant Detention Grows to Record Heights under Trump Administration
By Muzaffar Chishti and Valerie Lacarte
Authorities making an immigration arrest in Virginia.
Articles
September 25, 2025
Trump Administration’s Expansion of Fast-Track Deportation Powers Is Transforming Immigration Enforcement
By Muzaffar Chishti and Kathleen Bush-Joseph
President Donald Trump tours the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention facility in Florida
Articles
July 30, 2025
Beyond ICE: State and Local Authorities Become Central to Trump Administration Deportations Strategy
By Muzaffar Chishti and Kathleen Bush-Joseph
An ICE specialist in cybercrime.
Articles
May 29, 2025
Seeking to Ramp Up Deportations, the Trump Administration Quietly Expands a Vast Web of Data
By Muzaffar Chishti and Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh
More
Immigration and U.S. National Security: The State of Play Since 9/11
Reports
April 2020
Immigration and U.S. National Security: The State of Play Since 9/11
By  Amy Pope
coverthumb travelbaneo
Policy Briefs
February 2017
Trump Executive Order on Refugees and Travel Ban: A Brief Review
By  Sarah Pierce and Doris Meissner
cover KerwinRights
Policy Briefs
September 2013
Does Respect for Migrant Rights Contribute to Economic Development?
By  Donald M. Kerwin
cover_joppke
Reports
February 2012
The Role of the State in Cultural Integration: Trends, Challenges, and Ways Ahead
By  Christian Joppke
cover_multiculturalism
Reports
February 2012
Multiculturalism: Success, Failure, and the Future
By  Will Kymlicka
cover prism9 11
Fact Sheets
August 2011
Through the Prism of National Security: Major Immigration Policy and Program Changes in the Decade since 9/11
By  Michelle Mittelstadt, Burke Speaker, Doris Meissner and Muzaffar Chishti
cover datasharing
Reports
March 2011
Transatlantic Cooperation on Travelers' Data Processing: From Sorting Countries to Sorting Individuals
By  Paul De Hert and Rocco Bellanova
Book cover SHM large for vi
Books
April 2010
Securing Human Mobility in the Age of Risk: New Challenges for Travel, Migration, and Borders
By  Susan Ginsburg
More
Federal officers and protesters in Portland, Oregon
Policy Beat
February 26, 2026
Escalation of ICE Operations Emboldens State and Local Lawmakers to Constrain Its Operations

The ramp-up of federal immigration enforcement during the second Trump term has prompted sharp responses from state and local governments, with some limiting cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or barring agents' wearing of masks or the establishment of immigrant detention facilities. At the same time, some Republican-led jurisdictions have embraced policies to encourage cooperation with ICE. This article traces the rise of "sanctuary" policies and divergent trends.

President Donald Trump addresses the nation.
Policy Beat
January 13, 2026
Unleashing Power in New Ways: Immigration in the First Year of Trump 2.0

U.S. immigration policy, practice, and enforcement changed dramatically over the first year of President Donald Trump's second term, touching most corners of the immigration system. The government has cracked down on unauthorized immigration in the U.S. interior and at the border, expanded scrutiny of immigrants of all legal statuses, and erected barriers for would-be arrivals. This article provides a sweeping overview of the changes that have taken place and assesses their impacts.

Families from Venezuela in Trinidad and Tobago.
Feature
December 11, 2025
Trinidad and Tobago Grapples with Venezuelan Migrants in a Complex Environment

Many Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad and Tobago have found that their situation is more complex than expected as the Caribbean country has largely adopted an enforcement-first approach. Many Venezuelan migrants face stigma and precarity—issues complicated amid escalating tensions between Venezuela and the United States, as this article details. 

People at the Eloy immigrant detention facility.
Policy Beat
October 29, 2025
U.S. Immigrant Detention Grows to Record Heights under Trump Administration

The number of people in U.S. immigrant detention has grown sharply under President Donald Trump and will likely continue to rise in coming months. The rapid ramp-up has relied on an array of nontraditional facilities as well as private prisons, and has been accompanied by allegations of harsh treatment and rising deaths. This article traces the growth and evolution of the world's largest immigration detention system.

Authorities making an immigration arrest in Virginia.
Policy Beat
September 25, 2025
Trump Administration’s Expansion of Fast-Track Deportation Powers Is Transforming Immigration Enforcement

The Trump administration has expanded its use of expedited removal in unprecedented ways, transforming what previously had been a somewhat limited authority into a potent tool to assist with its mass deportations drive. This article traces how the administration has sought to expand the reach of the nearly 30-year-old fast-track power beyond the border.

More
Covid Mobility Commentary Flickr JensOlafWalter
Short Reads
May 2020
The Rocky Road to a Mobile World after COVID-19
By  Meghan Benton
FatherDaughterRioGrandeCrossing_CBPKrisGrogan
Short Reads
July 2019
As the Trump Administration Seeks to Remove Families, Due-Process Questions over Rocket Dockets Abound
By  Sarah Pierce
FamilyDetentionMay2018_small
Short Reads
June 2018
Far from a Retreat, the Trump Administration’s Border Policies Advance its Enforcement Aims
By  Sarah Pierce
SyrianChildren UNHCR Flickr
Short Reads
April 2016
Children: The Forgotten Aspect of the EU-Turkey Deal
By  Hanne Beirens and Paul Clewett
Boat SteveEvans Flickr
Short Reads
March 2016
The Paradox of the EU-Turkey Refugee Deal
By  Elizabeth Collett
Constitution
Short Reads
August 2015
Repealing Birthright Citizenship: The Unintended Consequences
By  Michael Fix
President Trump and Secretary Noem visit Alligator Alcatraz
Video, Audio
January 13, 2026

Beyond “Shock and Awe”: Immigration Actions in the First Year under Trump 2.0

MPI analysts assess the immigration actions taken during President Trump's first year back in office, detail the legal state of play, and analyze the actual effects on the labor market, U.S. communities, and future immigration to the United States.

President Trump Addresses Joint Session of Congress - March 4, 2025
Video, Audio
April 24, 2025

Immigration Actions in First 100 Days of Trump Second Term

Top analysts assess the most consequential immigration actions taken during the first 100 days of President Trump's second term, detail the litigation picture, and analyze some of the early effects of policies on U.S. communities.

2023 Immigration Law and Policy Conference
Video
September 18, 2023

20th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference

The 20th annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference, organized by MPI, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., and Georgetown University Law Center, features fresh, thoughtful policy and legal analysis, and discussion of some of the top immigration issues by leading government officials, attorneys, researchers, advocates, and other experts. 

Video, Audio
January 19, 2022

Biden at One: Assessing the Administration’s Immigration Record

This MPI discussion with leading experts, advocates, and a top official from the administration examines the Biden track record on immigration and what lays ahead

Video, Audio
September 27, 2021

18th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference

The 2021 annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference featured a keynote conversation with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas and analysis by top experts on the early months of the Biden administration and how immigration law and policy can respond to our changing world in a manner that is humane and in the national interest.

More

Recent Activity

Articles
February 26, 2026

Escalation of ICE Operations Emboldens State and Local Lawmakers to Constrain Its Operations

The ramp-up of federal immigration enforcement during the second Trump term has prompted sharp responses from state and local governments, with some limiting cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or barring agents' wearing of masks or the establishment of immigrant detention facilities. At the same time, some Republican-led jurisdictions have embraced policies to encourage cooperation with ICE. This article traces the rise of "sanctuary" policies and divergent trends.

Video, Audio, Webinars
January 13, 2026

Beyond “Shock and Awe”: Immigration Actions in the First Year under Trump 2.0

MPI analysts assess the immigration actions taken during President Trump's first year back in office, detail the legal state of play, and analyze the actual effects on the labor market, U.S. communities, and future immigration to the United States.

Articles
January 13, 2026

Unleashing Power in New Ways: Immigration in the First Year of Trump 2.0

U.S. immigration policy, practice, and enforcement changed dramatically over the first year of President Donald Trump's second term, touching most corners of the immigration system. The government has cracked down on unauthorized immigration in the U.S. interior and at the border, expanded scrutiny of immigrants of all legal statuses, and erected barriers for would-be arrivals. This article provides a sweeping overview of the changes that have taken place and assesses their impacts.

Articles
December 11, 2025

Trinidad and Tobago Grapples with Venezuelan Migrants in a Complex Environment

Many Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad and Tobago have found that their situation is more complex than expected as the Caribbean country has largely adopted an enforcement-first approach. Many Venezuelan migrants face stigma and precarity—issues complicated amid escalating tensions between Venezuela and the United States, as this article details. 

Articles
October 29, 2025

U.S. Immigrant Detention Grows to Record Heights under Trump Administration

The number of people in U.S. immigrant detention has grown sharply under President Donald Trump and will likely continue to rise in coming months. The rapid ramp-up has relied on an array of nontraditional facilities as well as private prisons, and has been accompanied by allegations of harsh treatment and rising deaths. This article traces the growth and evolution of the world's largest immigration detention system.

Articles
September 25, 2025

Trump Administration’s Expansion of Fast-Track Deportation Powers Is Transforming Immigration Enforcement

The Trump administration has expanded its use of expedited removal in unprecedented ways, transforming what previously had been a somewhat limited authority into a potent tool to assist with its mass deportations drive. This article traces how the administration has sought to expand the reach of the nearly 30-year-old fast-track power beyond the border.

Articles
July 30, 2025

Beyond ICE: State and Local Authorities Become Central to Trump Administration Deportations Strategy

U.S. immigration enforcement is undergoing a marked transformation, as state and local law enforcement authorities—once largely on the sidelines—have become central partners to the Trump administration. State and local participation is growing in size and scope, including the signing of hundreds of 287(g) deputization agreements, opening of Florida's Alligator Alcatraz, and Texas's multibillion-dollar Operation Lone Star.

Articles
May 29, 2025

Seeking to Ramp Up Deportations, the Trump Administration Quietly Expands a Vast Web of Data

In its bid to ramp up deportations, the Trump administration is granting ICE access to a swath of government databases that were previously off limits for immigration enforcement, including sensitive tax and Social Security records. This article details the growing digital arsenal of government and commercial databases that ICE can tap to identify and arrest removable noncitizens, and how this unprecedented data sharing has its roots in the post-9/11 era.

More