E.g., 06/16/2026
E.g., 06/16/2026
DREAM Act/Deferred Action

DREAM Act/Deferred Action

ImmigrantMarchSign SpiritOfAmerica Shutterstock

Conferring legal status on young unauthorized immigrants brought to the U.S. as children—a group referred to as DREAMers—has been the subject of legislation in Congress since 2001. In 2012, the Obama administration launched the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative to provide a temporary reprieve from deportation to qualified unauthorized immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. In 2017, the Trump administration announced the program's termination. The research here offers a demographic portrait of the DACA and broader DREAMer populations. Check out our DACA data tools, with state-level and national-origin data, here.

Recent Activity

A woman wearing scrubs in a health-care setting reviews a chart
Articles
People hold Brazilian flags
Articles
A family takes a photo in Washington, DC.
Articles
Immigrants take the oath of allegiance during a naturalization ceremony.
Girls in traditional Ukrainian attire.
Articles
President Donald Trump addresses the nation.
Articles
The Little Havana neighborhood of Miami.
Articles
Fact sheet thumbnail for 2025 unauthorized immigrants research
Fact Sheets
October 2025
By  Julia Gelatt, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto and James D. Bachmeier
Fact sheet thumbnail for 2025 unauthorized immigrants research
Fact Sheets
October 2025
By  Julia Gelatt, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto and James D. Bachmeier
Cover image for Four Years of Profound Change: Immigration Policy during the Trump Presidency
Reports
February 2022
By  Jessica Bolter, Emma Israel and Sarah Pierce
coverthumb_rethinking legalization 2021
Reports
February 2021
By  Jessica Bolter, Muzaffar Chishti and Doris Meissner
Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States: Stable Numbers, Changing Origins
Fact Sheets
December 2020
By  Randy Capps, Julia Gelatt, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto and Jennifer Van Hook
coverthumb_biden starting gate
Policy Briefs
November 2020
By  Doris Meissner and Michelle Mittelstadt
Coverthumb UnauthorizedImmigrant HS Graduates FactSheet
Fact Sheets
April 2019
By  Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova
A woman wearing scrubs in a health-care setting reviews a chart

The Trump administration is seeking to all but eliminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a humanitarian safeguard for U.S.-resident noncitizens whose home countries were too dangerous or unstable for return. While critics say the term "temporary" has been stretched beyond recognition, TPS has become a mainstay. This article examines the history and use of TPS, the debate over its future, and holders of the status. 

People hold Brazilian flags

The United States is home to the largest Brazilian community outside Brazil. Still, Brazilians account for only about 1 percent of all U.S. immigrants. This population has grown rapidly in recent years, with nearly two-thirds of Brazilian immigrants arriving since 2010, as this article details.

A family takes a photo in Washington, DC.

Indian immigrants comprise the second largest foreign-born group in the United States, even though they tend to have arrived more recently. Immigrants from India tend to have considerably more education than other groups and roughly one-fifth live in California. This article offers a range of information about this diverse group. 

Immigrants take the oath of allegiance during a naturalization ceremony.

This essential resource offers top statistics about immigration, immigrants, and the immigration system in the United States, drawing on authoritative sources and the latest data available. The article offers insights on the size and characteristics of the immigrant population, the scope of temporary and permanent immigration via all pathways, enforcement actions, and much more.

Girls in traditional Ukrainian attire.

The Ukrainian immigrant population in the United States grew significantly in the immediate aftermath of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Compared to the overall immigrant population, Ukrainians are more likely to be U.S. citizens and have higher levels of education. This article provides wide-ranging statistics on the size, U.S. settlement, and socioeconomic characteristics of this group. 

Photo of migrants in line at port of entry in Brownsville awaiting possible entry
Short Reads
February 2025
By  Jennifer Van Hook, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto and Julia Gelatt
A DACA recipient speaks at a DACA 12th anniversary event at the White House
Short Reads
July 2024
By  Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Julia Gelatt and Jennifer Van Hook
President Biden meets with DACA recipients
Short Reads
September 2023
By  Ariel G. Ruiz Soto and Julia Gelatt
BreadforWorld_DACA_3
Short Reads
February 2021
By  Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
DREAMERS Justin ValasFlickr
Short Reads
March 2019
By  Julia Gelatt
goodlatte
Short Reads
June 2018
By  Jessica Bolter and Sarah Pierce
Deferred Action Summit
Short Reads
June 2018
By  Julia Gelatt and Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
WhiteHouse
Short Reads
January 2018
By  Julia Gelatt and Sarah Pierce
_DREAMer
Short Reads
December 2017
By  Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol, Thursday, March 7, 2024,
Video, Audio
December 17, 2024

As the Biden administration draws to a close, this webinar examined the Biden record on border management, legal immigration, and refugee resettlement, among other aspects. Speakers assessed the Biden legacy and discussed findings from an analysis of the administration’s actions on immigration during its four years.

21st Annual Immigration Law & Policy Conference
Video
September 21, 2024

With immigration at the heart of competing policy proposals for the future of the United States, 2024's Immigration Law and Policy Conference featured smart discussions of some of the most important immigration issues and keynote discussions with the DHS Secretary, Denver Mayor, and IOM Director General.  

Attorney General William Tong
Video
September 20, 2022

Focusing on top immigration policy issues at federal and state levels, this 2022 Immigration Law and Policy Conference featured keynotes by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson exploring the growing role states are taking in the national immigration debate.

Video, Audio
January 19, 2022

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

FLICKR BREAD FOR THE WORLD Bread for the World Groups gathered from all across the U.S. to demonstrate support for DACA and DAPA
Video
February 4, 2021

Following President Biden's call on Congress to enact a sweeping immigration proposal that offers most unauthorized immigrants a pathway to citizenship, this discussion examines the prospects for any legislative efforts at immigration reform, what bipartisan support might develop, and the various legalization policy options.

Recent Activity

Articles

The Trump administration is seeking to all but eliminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a humanitarian safeguard for U.S.-resident noncitizens whose home countries were too dangerous or unstable for return. While critics say the term "temporary" has been stretched beyond recognition, TPS has become a mainstay. This article examines the history and use of TPS, the debate over its future, and holders of the status. 

Articles

The United States is home to the largest Brazilian community outside Brazil. Still, Brazilians account for only about 1 percent of all U.S. immigrants. This population has grown rapidly in recent years, with nearly two-thirds of Brazilian immigrants arriving since 2010, as this article details.

Articles

Indian immigrants comprise the second largest foreign-born group in the United States, even though they tend to have arrived more recently. Immigrants from India tend to have considerably more education than other groups and roughly one-fifth live in California. This article offers a range of information about this diverse group. 

Articles

This essential resource offers top statistics about immigration, immigrants, and the immigration system in the United States, drawing on authoritative sources and the latest data available. The article offers insights on the size and characteristics of the immigrant population, the scope of temporary and permanent immigration via all pathways, enforcement actions, and much more.

Articles

The Ukrainian immigrant population in the United States grew significantly in the immediate aftermath of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Compared to the overall immigrant population, Ukrainians are more likely to be U.S. citizens and have higher levels of education. This article provides wide-ranging statistics on the size, U.S. settlement, and socioeconomic characteristics of this group. 

Articles

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

The United States is by far the top destination for international migrants from the Caribbean. Roughly one in ten U.S. immigrants was born in the Caribbean, coming chiefly from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, or Haiti. Compared to other foreign-born groups, these individuals are more likely to be naturalized U.S. citizens and to have arrived since 2010, as this article details.

Fact Sheets
October 2025

The 13.7 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States as of mid-2023 reflect increasingly diverse origins, socioeconomic and labor market characteristics, family composition, and places of settlement. This fact sheet explores those trends, drawing on MPI's detailed data profiles of the unauthorized immigrant population at U.S., state, and top county levels.