E.g., 04/17/2024
E.g., 04/17/2024
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.

Graphic image of man's hand touching screen with word skills
Commentaries

Canada's New Tech Talent Strategy Takes Aim at High-Skilled Immigrants in the United States

Canada’s Tech Talent Strategy is highly unusual for its explicit targeting of visa holders in another country. Opening a dedicated stream specifically for high-skilled immigrants in the United States who hold an H-1B visa is the latest salvo in a growing global competition for talent—one in which some countries are racing ahead of the United States in terms of policy dynamism, as this commentary explores.

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

coverthumb RemovalsFOIA
Reports
October 2014
Deportation and Discretion: Reviewing the Record and Options for Change
By  Marc R. Rosenblum and Kristen McCabe
Cover SPT Mex2014
Articles
October 9, 2014
Mexican Immigrants in the United States
By Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova
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Articles
September 30, 2014
Belonging: The Resettlement Experiences of Hmong Refugees in Texas and Germany
By Faith Nibbs
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Articles
September 25, 2014
Unaccompanied Minors Crisis Has Receded from Headlines But Major Issues Remain
By Muzaffar Chishti and Faye Hipsman
EventPH 2014.9.22 Leadership Visions with USCBP from event
Multimedia
September 22, 2014
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Discusses His Vision for the Agency
EVENTPH 2014.9.18 Unpacking the Links between Segregation, Community Cohesion, and Opportunity (YouTube)
Multimedia
September 18, 2014
Unpacking the Links between Segregation, Community Cohesion, and Opportunity: A Transatlantic Discussion
EVENTPH 2014.9.16 DACA DREAM ED REQ. WEBINAR (USDOEDSC_0079 (1))
Multimedia
September 16, 2014
Realizing the DACA and DREAM Promise: Actions to Support Educational Attainment of Potentially Eligible Immigrant Youth
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Reports
September 2014
Diploma, Please: Promoting Educational Attainment for DACA- and Potential DREAM Act-Eligible Youth
By  Margie McHugh

Pages

Spotlight on Mexican Immigrants April 2008 map
Spotlight
April 23, 2008
Mexican Immigrants in the United States

In 2006, more than 11.5 million Mexican immigrants resided in the United States, accounting for 30.7 percent of all US immigrants. MPI's Jeanne Batalova examines the number of Mexican immigrants in the United States, their socioeconomic characteristics, where they live, and the size of the Mexican-born unauthorized population.

Policy Beat
April 15, 2008
USCIS Receives 163,000 H-1B Applications for Fiscal Year 2009

MPI's Muzaffar Chishti and Claire Bergeron report on the H-1B visa window, Real ID regulations, Arizona's proposed guest worker program, and more.

Policy Beat
March 17, 2008
Virtual Border Fence Given Mixed Assessment in First Test

MPI's Muzaffar Chishti and Claire Bergeron report on the virtual border fence in Arizona, House immigration talks, increased fines for employers of unauthorized immigrants, and more.

Spotlight
March 17, 2008
Spotlight on Temporary Admissions of Nonimmigrants to the United States

There were nearly 34 million temporary admissions to the United States in 2006, twice the number in 1990. MPI's Jeanne Batalova outlines the definition of nonimmigrants and takes a detailed look at admissions data and data limitations.

Policy Beat
February 15, 2008
USCIS: Backlog in Naturalization Applications Will Take Nearly Three Years to Clear

MPI's Muzaffar Chishti and Claire Bergeron report on the USCIS naturalization application backlog, final Real ID regulations, proposed H-2A visa changes, and more.

Pages

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Recent Activity

Reports
October 2014

Deportation and Discretion: Reviewing the Record and Options for Change

Even as deportation of criminals has risen steadily, immigration crimes are the largest category of criminal removals, representing 18 percent of the 1.5 million criminal removals that occurred between fiscal 2003-13. This report analyzes the 3.7 million formal removals that occurred during the period, offering a profile of deportees and changing trends. It also outlines how possible scenarios for executive action could affect the number of deportations.
Articles
October 9, 2014

Mexican Immigrants in the United States

In 2013, 11.6 million Mexican immigrants resided in the United States, accounting for 28 percent of the total foreign-born population, making Mexicans the largest immigrant group in the country. Using the latest data, this Spotlight examines the Mexican immigrant population by size, location, language ability, workforce participation, and more.

Articles
September 30, 2014

Belonging: The Resettlement Experiences of Hmong Refugees in Texas and Germany

Drawing on a case study of two Hmong refugee populations from Laos that were resettled in a major Texas city and a German village, this article explores the different approaches to immigrant integration found in the United States and Germany as well as the outcomes for the Hmong and their sense of belonging in their new communities.

Articles
September 25, 2014

Unaccompanied Minors Crisis Has Receded from Headlines But Major Issues Remain

As Central American child migrant flows have returned to their precrisis level, challenges remain concerning the fate of tens of thousands of newly arrived children and families now residing in the United States pending immigration court hearings. Meanwhile, Congress has declined to authorize new funding to address the situation.

Video, Audio
September 22, 2014

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Discusses His Vision for the Agency

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske, who assumed his duties in 2014, lays out his vision and discusses his priorities for the agency as part of MPI's Leadership Visions series. During his remarks, Commissioner Kerlikowske discussed the surge in child migrants, border security, internal investigations, the possible threat posed by ISIL fighters returning to the West, and more.

Video, Webinars
September 18, 2014

Unpacking the Links between Segregation, Community Cohesion, and Opportunity: A Transatlantic Discussion

In this webinar, experts and policymakers from Europe and the United States discuss the relationship between immigration, residential segregation, community relations, and economic opportunities.

Audio, Webinars
September 16, 2014

Realizing the DACA and DREAM Promise: Actions to Support Educational Attainment of Potentially Eligible Immigrant Youth

A discussion and report release on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, how its educational requirements may be impacting application rates, and recommendations for overcoming the education-success challenges that key subgroups of DACA-DREAM youth face.

Reports
September 2014

Diploma, Please: Promoting Educational Attainment for DACA- and Potential DREAM Act-Eligible Youth

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is unprecedented in the scope of its educational requirements. This report provides sociodemographic snapshots of three key DACA groups, explores the challenges to their educational success, and offers recommendations for educators and other stakeholders looking to support the educational attainment of these young unauthorized immigrants.

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