E.g., 04/23/2024
E.g., 04/23/2024
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

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Reports
June 2011
The Role of Immigration in Fostering Competitiveness in the United States
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou and Madeleine Sumption
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Reports
June 2011
Emerging Transatlantic Security Dilemmas in Border Management
By  Elizabeth Collett
Articles
May 24, 2011
Immigrants from Asia in the United States
By Jeanne Batalova
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Multimedia
May 18, 2011
E Pluribus Unum Prizes Panel Discussions and Awards Ceremony
Articles
May 17, 2011
DHS Announces End to Controversial Post-9/11 Immigrant Registration and Tracking Program
By Muzaffar Chishti, Claire Bergeron
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Reports
May 2011
Immigrants in the United States: How Well Are They Integrating into Society?
By  Tomás R. Jiménez
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Reports
May 2011
Evolving Demographic and Human-Capital Trends in Mexico and Central America and Their Implications for Regional Migration
By  Aaron Terrazas, Demetrios G. Papademetriou and Marc R. Rosenblum
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Reports
May 2011
The Faltering U.S. Refugee Protection System: Legal and Policy Responses to Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Others in Need of Protection
By  Donald M. Kerwin

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Policy Beat
October 1, 2003
Visitor Tracking Technology Faces Obstacles
Machine-Readable Passport Requirement Delayed One Year... California Allows Undocumented Immigrants to Obtain Driver's License... US-VISIT Confronts Criticism, Potential Setbacks... Annual Cap for H-1B Visa Holders Slashed... New Citizenship Office Chief Appointed... TPS Extended for Burundians and Sudanese, Terminated for Sierra Leonians...
Spotlight
October 1, 2003
The Foreign Born from Mexico in the United States in 2000

MPI Data Manager Elizabeth Grieco provides an overview of the largest immigrant group in the United States.

Feature
September 1, 2003
Chicago's Immigrants Break Old Patterns

Rob Paral of Roosevelt University's Institute for Metropolitan Affairs examines the key role of recent immigrants in one of the United States' largest cities.

Policy Beat
September 1, 2003
Security Concerns Spur Policy Changes
Visa Waiver Transit Programs Suspended... State Dept. Adds Visa Categories for Border Students... Ridge Names Citizenship and Immigration Ombudsman... State Dept. Requires Online Applications for Visa Lottery... Temporary Protected Status Extended for Liberians...
Policy Beat
August 1, 2003
Government Widens Efforts to Scrutinize Foreign Visitors
State Dept. Tightens Rules on Visa Applicant Interviews... Agreements With Chile, Singapore Open Door to Trade in Services... DHS Fully Implements Foreign Student Tracking System... TPS Extended for Montserratians, Salvadorans, Somalians... DHS Expands Efforts to Deport ‘Predatory’ Criminal Aliens...

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Recent Activity

Fact Sheets
July 2014

Select Diaspora Populations in the United States

MPI has produced profiles of 15 diaspora communities in the United States, gathering in one place key demographic data and analysis on diasporas from Bangladesh, Colombia, El Salvador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, India, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The profiles examine population size, educational attainment, household income, employment patterns, geographic distribution, and remittance volume.

Articles
July 18, 2014

Immigrants from the Dominican Republic in the United States

The Dominican-born population in the United States has grown rapidly since 1960, and today, the United States is home to 960,000 immigrants from the Dominican Republic. This article provides up-to-date demographic information for Dominican immigrants in the United States, including statistics on distribution by state and metro area, educational and professional attainment, income levels, health care coverage, and more.

Commentaries
July 2014

California Takes the Lead in Targeting Education Dollars on English Language Learners, But There Is More to Be Done

Despite the lingering effects of five years of brutal budget cuts as a result of the Great Recession, California is arguably doing more than any other state to target English learners in its schools. But will it be enough? In this commentary, the Executive Director of EdSource examines the reforms' potential for success.
Articles
July 2, 2014

Temporary Protected Status in the United States: A Grant of Humanitarian Relief that Is Less than Permanent

From a massive typhoon in the Philippines last November to the ongoing civil war in Syria, recent global events demonstrate that natural disasters and political strife occur suddenly and often without warning. This article examines the U.S. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program that grants humanitarian relief to nationals of certain countries embroiled in violent conflict or recovering from natural disaster.
Audio
June 25, 2014

Unaccompanied Minors: A Crisis with Deep Roots and No Simple Solutions

The flow of unaccompanied children from Central America and Mexico to the United States has surged 90 percent since last year, with government officials predicting that it might reach 90,000 by the end of the fiscal year in September—and perhaps 130,000 next year. This telebriefing discusses factors behind the flows as well as short- and longer-term policy options for improving how the U.S. immigration system interacts with this population with distinct needs.

Video, Audio
June 24, 2014

Detained or Deported: How Parents in the Immigration Enforcement System Can Protect their Children

This MPI panel discussion focuses on a toolkit by the Women's Refugee Commission to provide detained and deported immigrants as well as unauthorized immigrant mothers and fathers with crucial information to protect and maintain their parental rights and make well-informed decisions regarding the care and welfare of their children.

Audio, Webinars
June 18, 2014

Improving the Educational Outcomes of California's Immigrant Youth: A National Imperative

This webinar exploring findings from MPI's report, Critical Choices in Post-Recession California: Investing in the Educational and Career Success of Immigrant Youth, which focuses on the implications of California's public education system reforms for the state's 3.3 million first- and second-generation immigrant young adults and their families.

Reports
June 2014

Critical Choices in Post-Recession California: Investing in the Educational and Career Success of Immigrant Youth

This report examines the experiences and outcomes of immigrant youth across California’s educational institutions. Tracing the effects of education budget cuts that hit this population particularly hard, the report offers recommendations as new funding priorities and education reforms are being implemented. With one-fourth of all immigrants and one-third of English Language Learner students in the U.S., California's performance holds national implications.

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