Illegal Immigration & Interior Enforcement

lllegal immigration is a phenomenon confronted by many major immigrant-receiving countries, one that vexes policymakers and publics alike. While much of the focus may be on border enforcement, there are an array of interior enforcement policies aimed at identifying unauthorized immigrants for removal, including worksite enforcement, employment verification, jail-house screening, and state and local law enforcement activity. The research below delves into many facets of illegal immigration and enforcement occcuring away from national borders.

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Commentaries March 2021 Hampered by the Pandemic: Unaccompanied Child Arrivals Increase as Earlier Preparedness Shortfalls Limit the Response By Mark Greenberg	Commentaries March 2021 ¿Qué sigue ahora luego de que Colombia haya dado un paso histórico en materia de migración? By Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan and Diego Chaves-González
Articles February 25, 2021 Legal Snags and Possible Increases in Border Arrivals Complicate Biden’s Immigration Agenda By Muzaffar Chishti and Jessica Bolter	Commentaries February 2021 A Deeper Look at the DREAMers Who Could Feature in the Legalization Debate in Congress By Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
Commentaries February 2021 What Comes Next Now that Colombia Has Taken a Historic Step on Migration? By Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan and Diego Chaves-González	Articles February 11, 2021 Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States By Jeanne Batalova, Mary Hanna, and Christopher Levesque
Multimedia February 5, 2021 A Way Forward on Migration Under the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union?	Multimedia February 4, 2021 Prospects for a U.S. Legalization Program and the Unauthorized Immigrant Groups that Could Factor in the Debate

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Reports January 2013 Immigration Enforcement in the United States: The Rise of a Formidable Machinery By Doris Meissner, Donald M. Kerwin, Muzaffar Chishti and Claire Bergeron	Fact Sheets August 2012 Relief from Deportation: Demographic Profile of the DREAMers Potentially Eligible under the Deferred Action Policy By Jeanne Batalova and Michelle Mittelstadt
Reports July 2012 Contested Ground: Immigration in the United States By Michael Jones-Correa	Policy Briefs December 2011 Regularizations in the European Union: The Contentious Policy Tool By Kate Brick
Reports December 2011 Restoring Trust in the Management of Migration and Borders (Transatlantic Council Statement) By Demetrios G. Papademetriou	Reports December 2011 Irregular Migration in Europe By Christal Morehouse and Michael Blomfield
Reports October 2011 Shared Challenges and Opportunities for EU and U.S. Immigration Policymakers By Demetrios G. Papademetriou and Madeleine Sumption	Reports September 2011 The Governance of International Migration: Defining the Potential for Reform in the Next Decade (Transatlantic Council Statement) By Demetrios G. Papademetriou

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Spotlight

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.

Spotlight

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.

Policy Beat

July 25, 2019

Democrats Under Pressure: Political Calendar Exposes Ideological Differences on Immigration

Ideological differences in the Democratic Party over immigration that were once masked by unity against President Trump’s border wall and immigration agenda are now being exposed as Democratic presidential candidates seek to stand out in a crowded field and amid controversy over an emergency border spending bill. As the 2020 electoral calendar accelerates, how the party navigates the gulf between its most liberal and conservative wings will become a greater challenge for its leaders.

Feature

July 18, 2019

Lack of Opportunities and Family Pressures Drive Unaccompanied Minor Migration from Albania to Italy

Faced with a lack of employment opportunities and recurrent poverty, Albanian youth migrate to Italy alone in the hopes of improving their educational prospects or making money for their families. Yet upon arrival, they face many vulnerabilities. While some protections for unaccompanied minors exist in the Italy, the system is greatly fragmented and challenges, including how to return them to Albania, remain persistent.

Feature

July 2, 2019

A Growing Destination for Sub-Saharan Africans, Morocco Wrestles with Immigrant Integration

Long a country of emigration and a springboard for migrants aiming to reach Europe, Morocco has emerged as a destination for many sub-Saharan Africans. As more migrants remain in Morocco, the kingdom has implemented policies to aid with integration. But challenges remain, with most of the estimated 700,000 sub-Saharan Africans living in precarious conditions and irregular status despite some legalization programs.

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Audio

August 26, 2011

Through the Prism of National Security: Major Immigration Policy and Program Changes in the Decade since 9/11

With the ten year anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks approaching, the Migration Policy Institute held a conference call to discuss the most significant changes that have occurred in the immigration arena in the decade since the attacks.

Audio

July 14, 2011

Labor Standards Enforcement and Low-Wage Immigrants: Creating an Effective Enforcement System

This Migration Policy Institute webinar discusses labor enforcement laws during the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations and chronicles gaps in labor protection.

Video

April 26, 2011

8th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference

The conference offered law and policy analysis and discussion on cutting-edge immigration issues. Featured panelists included high-ranking government officials, academics, advocates, and other immigration experts.

Video, Audio

March 18, 2011

Lessons from the 2007 Legal Arizona Workers Act

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) research fellows Magnus Lofstrom and Sarah Bohn, and UC Berkeley professor of public policy Steven Raphael are issuing a new report that examines whether LAWA achieved its primary aims: reducing the unauthorized population, deterring their employment opportunities and improving employment outcomes of competing authorized workers. Their analysis also investigates whether Arizona’s legislation induced a shift away from formal employment.

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.

Recent Activity

Expert Q&A, Audio

November 24, 2021

Thinking Regionally to Act Locally in Immigration Policy

With migration a dynamic phenomenon in the Americas, the U.S. government increasingly is realizing that migration management should be viewed in a regional context. This requires a new set of policies and ways of engagement with countries in North and Central America, and beyond, as MPI President Andrew Selee discusses with colleague Andrea Tanco in this episode of our World of Migration podcast.

Reports

November 2021

Charting a New Regional Course of Action: The Complex Motivations and Costs of Central American Migration

Influenced by a mix of factors—from economic and humanitarian protection needs to family reunification and climate change—Central American migration is a dynamic phenomenon. This report draws on unique survey data to examine the conditions that drive people in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to migrate, as well as the costs and implications of migration for households and communities throughout the region.

Articles

November 18, 2021

South Africa Reckons with Its Status as a Top Immigration Destination, Apartheid History, and Economic Challenges

South Africa hosts the most immigrants of any African country. Yet it faces conflicting pressures, including the legacy of apartheid, a steady outflow of well-educated South Africans, and the need to juggle bilateral labor mobility schemes at a time of economic insecurity and high unemployment. This article traces these pressures and how they have developed over time.

Policy Briefs

November 2021

Invertir en alternativas a la migración irregular desde Centroamérica: Opciones para expandir las vías de empleo en Estados Unidos

Es cada vez más claro que Estados Unidos, México y los países de origen de migrantes en Centroamérica tendrán que trabajar juntos para abordar el gran movimiento irregular de personas a través de la región. Este informe propone que además de mejorar la protección humanitaria para quienes la necesitan, ampliar las oportunidades legales para acceder a un empleo en el extranjero es otra parte de la ecuación.

Policy Briefs

November 2021

Investing in Alternatives to Irregular Migration from Central America: Options to Expand U.S. Employment Pathways

There is increasing recognition that the United States, Mexico, and migrant-origin countries in Central America will need to work together to address the large-scale, irregular movement of people through the region. While it is critical to improve humanitarian protection for those in need, expanding legal opportunities to take up employment abroad is another part of this equation, as this policy brief explores.

Expert Q&A, Audio

October 29, 2021

U.S. Immigration Reform Denied: Destined to Repeat the Cycle of Failure?

The architecture of the U.S. legal immigration system rests on a 1965 law and was last significantly updated in 1990. While there is widespread agreement that the existing framework does not align with the needs and realities of the 21st century, Congress has proven unable to enact significant legislative reform over the past two decades. How have debates on immigration changed and is achieving bipartisan consensus on this highly charged issue possible today?

Articles

October 28, 2021

Biden Immigration Enforcement Priorities Emphasize a Multi-Dimensional View of Migrants

U.S. immigration arrests have declined to the lowest level in years. Going forward, new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement guidelines could further shape how authorities arrest and deport unauthorized immigrants and noncitizens who have committed crimes. This article describes how the Biden administration prosecutorial discretion guidance marks a sharp turn from the approach taken by the Trump administration.

Commentaries

October 2021

It Is Too Simple to Call 2021 a Record Year for Migration at the U.S.-Mexico Border

While there were more encounters of migrants seeking to cross the U.S.-Mexico border without authorization during fiscal 2021 than any prior year, this does not necessarily mean that more migrants were intercepted or illicitly entered the country than was the case 21 years ago, a new commentary explains.

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