U.S. Immigration Policy Program

Short Reads

May 2026

The Immigration Debate America Needs—and Is Not Having

Male and female business professionals gathered at a conference table

iStock.com/Ridofranz

Immigration is central to America’s economic future, yet political debate remains fixated on border crises and past policy failures instead of how a modern legal immigration system could power U.S. growth and competitiveness in an era of demographic decline. This short read argues for shifting the conversation toward flexible, employment-based immigration policies that match today’s labor market needs, strengthen enforcement through legal pathways, and treat immigrants as a source of national strength.

Reports

May 2026

Rooted in the Valley: Immigrants in Napa County’s Communities and Economy

A farmer's hands as he inspects wine grapes

iStock.com/Feverpitched

In Napa Valley, a world-famous wine-growing region, agriculture and manufacturing are major aspects of the regional economy. They are also sectors that have long relied on immigrant labor. This report examines the characteristics and economic contributions of Napa County’s immigrant residents and workers.

Short Reads

April 2026

Trump Restrictions on Legal Immigration Could Sharply Reduce U.S. Population Growth

Image of a hand holding a passport with the stamp 'rejected' on a passport page

iStock.com/AnnaStills

While much attention has focused on its efforts to tackle unauthorized immigration, the Trump administration has been methodically shutting down a wide array of legal immigration pathways and slowing immigration case processing. With U.S. birth rates declining and the population aging, the consequences could tip the U.S. population into stagnation—or even decline for the first time since 1918.

Short Reads

March 2026

U.S. Third-Country Deportation Agreements Are More About Fear than Numbers

Image of unauthorized immigrant in shackles entering plane for deportation flight

ICE

The Trump administration has signed deportation agreements with 27 countries, with outreach planned to dozens of others, to help facilitate its mass deportations agenda. Yet these third-country deportation arrangements account for a fraction of overall deportations—suggesting this policy is more about creating a climate of fear than facilitating large numbers of removals.

Fact Sheets

February 2026

A Profile of the Growing Black Immigrant Population in the United States

A Black female nurse in blue scrubs walking outside

iStock.com/FG Trade Latin

The Black immigrant population in the United States has both grown considerably since 1990 and become more diverse, with the one-time heavily Caribbean and Latin American origins now more evenly mixed with arrivals from Africa. This fact sheet uses U.S. Census Bureau data to explore the demographic, workforce, and household characteristics of this group, which makes up 9 percent of the country’s overall immigrant population.

Fact Sheets

February 2026

Graduating into Uncertainty: Unauthorized Immigrant Students in U.S. High Schools

Four high school students with backpacks walk together at a school

Antonio Diaz/iStock.com

All high school students face important questions about what comes next after graduation. Those who are unauthorized immigrants face additional challenges—from heightened immigration enforcement to states walking back in-state tuition policies for these students. This fact sheet provides estimates of the number and characteristics of unauthorized immigrant children who are reaching the end of high school and graduating from K-12 schools across the United States each year.

Articles

Though Rare, Birth Tourism to the United States Sparks Outsized Concern

Birth tourism is at the center of the Trump administration’s legal argument to end the guarantee of birthright citizenship. Estimates suggest the practice is quite rare, and a range of government actions, including enforcement operations on "maternity hotels," has sought to eradicate it. This article examines birth tourism to the United States, offering a look at trends, policy responses, and its role in the legal fight over ending birthright citizenship.

Immigrants take the oath of allegiance during a naturalization ceremony.

Articles

Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States

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.

President Donald Trump addresses the nation.

Articles

Unleashing Power in New Ways: Immigration in the First Year of Trump 2.0

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

Venezuelan Immigrants in the United States

The Venezuelan immigrant population in the United States has grown quickly, amid a spiraling economic and political crisis in Venezuela that resulted in the exodus of millions of Venezuelans, most remaining in Latin America. About half of Venezuelan immigrants in the United States live in Florida, and a notably large share hold a college degree. This article offers key statistics about this group.

Recent Activity

Multimedia June 2, 2026 When Sports and U.S. Immigration Policy Collide	Articles May 28, 2026 Attacked as "De Facto Amnesty," U.S. Temporary Protected Status Is Abruptly Eroded By Muzaffar Chishti and Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
Short Reads May 2026 The Immigration Debate America Needs—and Is Not Having By Julia Gelatt, Doris Meissner and Andrew Selee	Multimedia May 18, 2026 America’s Closing Door: Where Do Cuban Migrants Go Now?
Articles May 14, 2026 Brazilian Immigrants in the United States By Marina Aragão Santos and Jeanne Batalova	Reports May 2026 Rooted in the Valley: Immigrants in Napa County’s Communities and Economy By Valerie Lacarte, Michael Fix and Allison Rutland
Articles April 29, 2026 Though Rare, Birth Tourism to the United States Sparks Outsized Concern By Muzaffar Chishti and Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh	Short Reads April 2026 Trump Restrictions on Legal Immigration Could Sharply Reduce U.S. Population Growth By Julia Gelatt

Reports May 2026 Rooted in the Valley: Immigrants in Napa County’s Communities and Economy By Valerie Lacarte, Michael Fix and Allison Rutland	Fact Sheets February 2026 A Profile of the Growing Black Immigrant Population in the United States By Valerie Lacarte
Fact Sheets February 2026 Graduating into Uncertainty: Unauthorized Immigrant Students in U.S. High Schools By Jeanne Batalova	Policy Briefs November 2025 Breaking the Cycle of Dysfunction at the U.S. Immigration Courts By Kathleen Bush-Joseph, Doris Meissner and Muzaffar Chishti
Reports October 2025 Maine’s Immigrant Communities: Diverse Origins, Characteristics, and Challenges By Valerie Lacarte and Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh	Fact Sheets October 2025 Changing Origins, Rising Numbers: Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States By Julia Gelatt, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto and James D. Bachmeier
Reports September 2025 All in for a Thriving Connecticut: Opportunities to Support Upward Mobility for the State’s Immigrant Families By Margie McHugh, Julia Gelatt, Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh, Katherine Habben, Jacob Hofstetter and Julie Sugarman	Policy Briefs May 2025 Facing New Migration Realities: U.S.-Mexico Relations and Shared Interests By Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Doris Meissner and Andrew Selee

A woman wearing scrubs in a health-care setting reviews a chart

Policy Beat

May 28, 2026

Attacked as "De Facto Amnesty," U.S. Temporary Protected Status Is Abruptly Eroded

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.

Spotlight

May 14, 2026

Brazilian Immigrants in the United States

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.

Policy Beat

April 29, 2026

Though Rare, Birth Tourism to the United States Sparks Outsized Concern

A family takes a photo in Washington, DC.

Spotlight

April 15, 2026

Indian Immigrants in the United States

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.

The Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse in New York City.

Policy Beat

March 25, 2026

The Trump Administration’s Immigration Policies Encounter Resistance in the Courts

Federal judges have provided significant opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration policies during its second term. The courts have halted or slowed a number of administration initiatives, including invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to carry out deportations and seeking to end birthright citizenship. This continues a trend of the judicial branch increasingly becoming the policymakers of last resort as presidents turn to executive action in the face of congressional inaction.

Short Reads

May 2026

The Immigration Debate America Needs—and Is Not Having

By Julia Gelatt, Doris Meissner and Andrew Selee

Short Reads

April 2026

Trump Restrictions on Legal Immigration Could Sharply Reduce U.S. Population Growth

By Julia Gelatt

Short Reads

March 2026

U.S. Third-Country Deportation Agreements Are More About Fear than Numbers

By Ariel G. Ruiz Soto

Short Reads

January 2026

Trump Administration Public-Charge Rule Would Amplify Harms to Immigrant Families

By Julia Gelatt

Image of U.S.-Mexico border wall and Border Patrol boat

Short Reads

October 2025

A New Era of Immigration Enforcement Unfolds in the U.S. Interior and at the Border under Trump 2.0

By Ariel G. Ruiz Soto

Fencing and a "no trespassing" sign at the U.S.-Mexico border

Short Reads

June 2025

Can Near-Historic Low Migrant Encounter Levels at the U.S.-Mexico Border Be Sustained?

By Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh

A sad mother and child sit in a dark hallway.

Short Reads

June 2025

The Health Costs to Children of Stepped-Up U.S. Immigration Enforcement

By Valerie Lacarte

Short Reads

May 2025

Repealing Birthright Citizenship Would Significantly Increase the Size of the U.S. Unauthorized Population

By Jennifer Van Hook, Michael Fix and Julia Gelatt

Photo of migrants in line at port of entry in Brownsville awaiting possible entry

Short Reads

February 2025

The Unauthorized Immigrant Population Expands amid Record U.S.-Mexico Border Arrivals

By Jennifer Van Hook, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto and Julia Gelatt

Montage of photos of Presidents Sheinbaum and Trump

Short Reads

February 2025

Amid Tariff Threats, Migration Management Is Key to the Evolving Trump-Sheinbaum Relationship

By Ariel G. Ruiz Soto and Andrew Selee

Graphic representation of law enforcement personnel taking individuals into custody

Explainers

February 2025

Explainer: ICE Arrests and Deportations from the U.S. Interior

Immigration enforcement takes place both at U.S. borders and in the nation’s interior. This explainer answers common questions about how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement works within the U.S. interior, identifying people for arrest, detention, and removal through the criminal justice pipeline as well as through operations at worksites and within U.S. communities.

Explainers

February 2025

Guia Explicativa: Arrestos y deportaciones de ICE desde el interior de Estados Unidos

El control migratorio en los Estados Unidos se lleva a cabo en sus fronteras, así como en el interior del país. Esta guía informática tiene respuestas a preguntas comunes sobre la función del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés) de EE. UU., en la identificación de personas para arresto, detención, y deportación a través del sistema de justicia penal y las operaciones en lugares de trabajo y dentro de comunidades estadounidenses.

Colorful illustration of people of many different backgrounds

Explainers

October 2024

Explainer: Who Are Immigrants in the United States?

With immigration a central focus in U.S. public and policy conversations, it is useful to have a solid understanding of the foreign-born population. This explainer offers statistics on the immigrant population’s size, origins, places of U.S. settlement, and pathways of arrival. It also looks at legal statuses, which have been a topic of significant public interest and confusion. More than three-quarters of all immigrants in United States are here legally.

A line drawing of a city landscape with people

Explainers

October 2024

Explainer: Immigrants and the Use of Public Benefits in the United States

Other than refugees, noncitizens in the United States face significant restrictions on access to federally funded public benefits, including programs such as Medicaid, food stamps, and cash assistance programs. This is particularly the case for unauthorized immigrants, who except in very limited circumstances are barred from all federally funded public benefits, as our explainer details.

A judge's gavel with multicolor background

Explainers

October 2024

Explainer: Immigrants and Crime in the United States

A significant and growing body of research at U.S., state, and local levels demonstrates that immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than the U.S.-born population. This explainer delves into the key takeaways and also looks at the screening process for new arrivals.

Expert Q&A, Audio

June 2, 2026

When Sports and U.S. Immigration Policy Collide

FIFA World Cup 2026 arrives amid stricter U.S. immigration policies that are limiting access for fans from dozens of countries. This World of Migration episode features sports journalist Albert Samaha on what the intersection of sports and immigration at the World Cup, including visa barriers and stepped-up enforcement, could mean, including for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Expert Q&A, Audio

May 18, 2026

America’s Closing Door: Where Do Cuban Migrants Go Now?

Cuba's collapsing economy and shrinking immigration pathways to the United States are redirecting Cuban migration flows across the Americas, as this World of Migration episode explores with María José Espinosa Carrillo, Executive Director of the Center for Engagement and Advocacy in the Americas (CEDA).

Is Climate-Vulnerable Africa Prepared for Increased Displacement?

Expert Q&A, Audio

January 26, 2026

Is Climate-Vulnerable Africa Prepared for Increased Displacement?

Africa may be the most climate-vulnerable region of the world. How prepared is the continent for a future of increased displacement? This episode of the Changing Climate, Changing Migration podcast speaks with Aimée-Noël Mbiyozo, a senior research consultant at the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies.

President Trump and Secretary Noem visit Alligator Alcatraz

Video, Audio

January 13, 2026

Beyond “Shock and Awe”: Immigration Actions in the First Year under Trump 2.0

MPI analysts assess the immigration actions taken during President Trump's first year back in office, detail the legal state of play, and analyze the actual effects on the labor market, U.S. communities, and future immigration to the United States.

Video, Audio

November 24, 2025

U.S. Immigration Courts at a Crisis Point

Featuring findings from a MPI policy brief, this discussion examines how the immigration courts have reached a point of crisis, the policies of the current administration and its predecessor touching upon the courts, and what administrative and legislative reforms are needed to transform the system.

Recent Activity

Expert Q&A, Audio

June 2, 2026

Programs

Topics see all >

Regions see all >

Data

Featured Publication

Programs

You are here

U.S. Immigration Policy Program

Recent Activity

Recent Activity