E.g., 06/09/2024
E.g., 06/09/2024
United States

United States

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Historically a nation of immigrants, the United States is home to nearly 45 million immigrants, who represent 13.7 percent of the total population and play a key role in the economic, civic, and cultural life of the country. The research collected here covers many facets of immigration to the United States, by the numbers and how immigrants fare in the country's classrooms and workplaces, the policies and regulations that shape the admission of new immigrants, the enforcement programs and polices in place at U.S. borders and within the interior, and integration policies and efforts taking place in local communities, in states, and at the federal level.

A naturalization ceremony at the White House.
Articles

Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States

Immigration touches on many facets of life in the United States. Get the facts with this useful resource, which compiles in one place answers to some of the most often-asked questions about immigration and immigrants in the United States now and historically. This article contains essential data on the immigrant population, immigration levels, trends in immigration enforcement, and much more.

A man in a high-visibility jacket and gloves at work
Policy Briefs

A New Way Forward for Employment-Based Immigration: The Bridge Visa

U.S. employment-based visa policies, last updated in 1990, are not aligned with the country’s current and future labor market needs. This policy brief outlines MPI’s proposal for a new visa pathway that could help the United States better leverage immigration to meet its labor market needs, boost protections for both U.S.- and foreign-born workers, and flexibly adapt to future economic and demographic changes.

Inadmissible migrants, some seeking asylum, are processed by CBP officers
Reports

Outmatched: The U.S. Asylum System Faces Record Demands

The U.S. humanitarian protection system, known for its long history of assisting those in need, has come under incredible pressure in recent years. The asylum adjudications system, which is under-resourced, is struggling to keep up with record asylum seeker arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border. This report examines the state of the asylum system, including changes under the Biden administration and potential lessons for other countries.

President Joe Biden signs an executive order.
Articles

Biden at the Three-Year Mark: The Most Active Immigration Presidency Yet Is Mired in Border Crisis Narrative

In three years, President Joe Biden has surpassed the number of immigration-focused executive actions taken by the Trump administration throughout its entire four-year term, making his the most active U.S. presidency ever on immigration. Yet the Biden administration has been repeatedly accused of inaction at the U.S.-Mexico border, where record levels of migrant encounters have occurred. This article reviews the Biden track record on immigration.

Recent Activity

Articles
May 1, 2003
Ashcroft: Undocumented Immigrants Subject to Indefinite Detention
By Maia Jachimowicz and Ramah McKay
Articles
May 1, 2003
Family Reunification
By Ramah McKay
Articles
May 1, 2003
Justice, Homeland Security Departments Announce Changes
By Maia Jachimowicz, Ramah McKay
A family at naturalization ceremony
Articles
May 1, 2003
What Immigrants Say About Life in the United States
By Steve Farkas
Articles
May 1, 2003
Immigration and National Security Post-Sept. 11: Updated Chronology
By MPI Staff
cover sandiegoreport
Reports
April 2003
Discussion on Migration and Development: Using Remittances and Circular Migration as Drivers for Development
By  Kevin O'Neil
cover reconcilingrefugeeprotection_iraq
Policy Briefs
April 2003
Reconciling Refugee Protection and Security Concerns in Wartime: The Case of Iraq
By  Monette Zard and Erin Patrick
cover immigrationpolicyandhomelandsecurityact
Policy Briefs
April 2003
Immigration Policy and the Homeland Security Act Reorganization: An Early Agenda for Practical Improvements
By  David A. Martin

Pages

Recent Activity

Articles
May 1, 2003

Immigration and National Security Post-Sept. 11: Updated Chronology

This updated timeline of key developments since September 11 tracks the latest connections between immigration and national security.
Articles
May 1, 2003

What Immigrants Say About Life in the United States

Steve Farkas, Senior Vice President of the research group Public Agenda, reveals some of the findings of a new survey on the attitudes of immigrants in America.

Articles
May 1, 2003

Justice, Homeland Security Departments Announce Changes

Justice Department Allows Indefinite Detention of Undocumented Immigrants... Homeland Security Department to Replace NSEERS... Special Registration Deadline Passes for Fourth Group of Foreign Visitors... Immigrants Killed While in U.S. Military Earn Posthumous Citizenship... Student Adjustment Act Reintroduced to Congress... Immigration Bureaus of DHS Receive Additional Funding...
Articles
May 1, 2003

Family Reunification

MPI’s Ramah McKay examines the family reunification program, which accounts for approximately two-thirds of permanent immigration to the U.S. each year.
Articles
May 1, 2003

Ashcroft: Undocumented Immigrants Subject to Indefinite Detention

Justice Department Allows Indefinite Detention of Undocumented Immigrants... Homeland Security Department to Replace NSEERS... Special Registration Deadline Passes for Fourth Group of Foreign Visitors... Immigrants Killed While in U.S. Military Earn Posthumous Citizenship... Student Adjustment Act Reintroduced to Congress... Immigration Bureaus of DHS Receive Additional Funding...
Articles
April 1, 2003

FBI, BICE Interview Iraqi-Born Immigrants; Entry-Exit Rules Changed

FBI, BICE Conduct 'Voluntary Interviews' of Iraqi-Born Immigrants... DHS Plans Operation to Detain Asylum Seekers from Certain Countries... Attorney General Announces Changes to Visa Waiver Program... Tighter Entry Rules Affect Nationals of over 50 Countries... Mexican Consulates Crowded with Applicants for Dual Citizenship... Angolans Lose Temporary Protected Status...
Articles
April 1, 2003

Iraqi Immigrants in the United States

With the war in Iraq intensifying, the media has focused on the Iraqi foreign born in the United States. To ensure the accuracy of public debate, MPI Data Manager Elizabeth Grieco uses U.S. Census Bureau statistics to describe the size of the Iraqi immigrant population.
Articles
April 1, 2003

Consular ID Cards: Mexico and Beyond

The Sept. 11 attacks prompted greater government scrutiny of undocumented immigrants in the United States. MPI Research Assistant Kevin O'Neil takes a look at how many Mexicans living in the U.S. without authorization have turned to a Mexican government ID called the "matrícula consular" to better establish their identity.

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