E.g., 07/24/2026
E.g., 07/24/2026
Julia Gelatt
Experts & Staff
Photo of Julia Gelatt

Julia Gelatt

Associate Director, U.S. Immigration Policy Program

[email protected]
(202) 266-1913

  | @J_Gelatt

Julia Gelatt is Associate Director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute. Her work focuses on the legal immigration system, demographic trends, and the implications of local, state, and federal U.S. immigration policy.

Dr. Gelatt previously worked as a Research Associate at the Urban Institute, where her mixed-methods research focused on state policies toward immigrants; barriers to and facilitators of immigrant families’ access to public benefits and public prekindergarten programs; and identifying youth victims of human trafficking. She was a Research Assistant at MPI before graduate school.

Dr. Gelatt earned her PhD in sociology, with a specialization in demography, from Princeton University, where her work focused on the relationship between immigration status and children’s health and well-being. She earned a bachelor of the arts in sociology/anthropology from Carleton College.

Bio Page Tabs

Fact sheet thumbnail for 2025 unauthorized immigrants research
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
Cover image for All in for a Thriving Connecticut
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
Cover image for How Immigrants and Their U.S.-Born Children Fit into the Future U.S. Labor Market
Reports
April 2024
How Immigrants and Their U.S.-Born Children Fit into the Future U.S. Labor Market
By  Jeanne Batalova, Julia Gelatt and Michael Fix
Cover image for A New Way Forward for Employment-Based Immigration
Policy Briefs
February 2024
A New Way Forward for Employment-Based Immigration: The Bridge Visa
By  Julia Gelatt and Muzaffar Chishti
Cover image for Immigrants’ Eligibility for U.S. Public Benefits: A Primer
Reports
January 2024
Immigrants’ Eligibility for U.S. Public Benefits: A Primer
By  Valerie Lacarte, Julia Gelatt and Ashley Podplesky
Cover image for Unblocking the U.S. Immigration System
Policy Briefs
February 2023
Unblocking the U.S. Immigration System: Executive Actions to Facilitate the Migration of Needed Workers
By  Julia Gelatt
Cover image for A Profile of Low-Income Immigrants in the United States
Fact Sheets
November 2022
A Profile of Low-Income Immigrants in the United States
By  Julia Gelatt, Valerie Lacarte and Joshua Rodriguez
Cover image for COVID-19’s Effects on U.S. Immigration and Immigrant Communities
Reports
June 2022
COVID-19’s Effects on U.S. Immigration and Immigrant Communities, Two Years On
By  Julia Gelatt and Muzaffar Chishti

Pages

Immigrants arriving on a ferry near Ellis Island.
Policy Beat
May 15, 2024
A Century Later, Restrictive 1924 U.S. Immigration Law Has Reverberations in Immigration Debate

The Immigration Act of 1924 shaped the U.S. population over the course of the 20th century, greatly restricting immigration and ensuring that arriving immigrants were mostly from Northern and Western Europe. The century-old law was one of the most restrictive in U.S. history and helped create the framework for key provisions of the U.S. immigration system that remain in place a century later. This article analyzes the effect and legacy of the 1924 law.

A member of the Texas National Guard faces migrants in Eagle Pass, Texas.
Policy Beat
February 28, 2024
Standoff at Eagle Pass: A High-Stakes U.S. Border Enforcement Showdown Comes to a Small Texas Park

Rising tensions between Texas and the federal government have sparked fears of a constitutional crisis after the state deployed its National Guard to prevent the U.S. Border Patrol from conducting operations in a city park in Eagle Pass, with Texas Governor Greg Abbott saying the “invasion” of migrants triggered the need for action. This article provides an overview of the standoff and the larger context of current and past state-federal tensions over immigration enforcement.

Image of USCIS employees at work
Policy Beat
November 29, 2023
Antiquated U.S. Immigration System Ambles into the Digital World

The U.S. immigration system is notorious for persistent backlogs and antiquated processes. In recent months, under-the-radar changes have made a dent in the logjam and helped bring the system into the 21st century. But some pandemic-era changes are set to expire, potentially undoing the incremental reforms. This article details the quiet technological and efficiency improvements in U.S. immigration operations.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams meeting with asylum seekers.
Policy Beat
September 27, 2023
New York and Other U.S. Cities Struggle with High Costs of Migrant Arrivals

U.S. cities have spent billions of dollars to provide shelter, health care, and other resources to migrants recently arrived from the U.S.-Mexico border. The exceptional costs, which the New York mayor has described as existential, are due to a unique combination of factors, this article explains, including the large numbers of migrants arriving without local connections and long waits for work permits.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at a conference in Tampa.
Policy Beat
June 28, 2023
Activism on Immigration by U.S. States Is Back, with New Tactics and Different Targets

Renewed U.S. state activism on immigration has echoes of the early 2010s, when Arizona’s SB 1070 defined a Republican-led push to increase enforcement that was ultimately muted by the courts and public backlash. Newer strategies rely on a novel array of tactics including migrant busing, litigation, and lawmaking. States are also moving in opposite directions, with some expanding rights for unauthorized immigrants, as this article details.

A border checkpoint between Canada and the United States.
Policy Beat
April 27, 2023
Roxham Road Meets a Dead End? U.S.-Canada Safe Third Country Agreement Is Revised

The revised U.S.-Canada Safe Third Country Agreement closes what critics call a loophole that incentivizes unauthorized border crossings of asylum seekers. While responding to Canadian concerns of increasing irregular arrivals from the United States, the change—taken in tandem with U.S. moves at the U.S.-Mexico border—suggests that the Biden administration increasingly wants to rely on neighboring countries to respond to rising asylum claims.

President Joe Biden in the White House.
Policy Beat
February 23, 2023
Imminent End of Formal U.S. Pandemic Emergencies Marks New Era in Immigration Realm

Pandemic-related U.S. policies have led to more than 2.6 million migrant expulsions at the U.S.-Mexico border, expanded public benefits to cover millions more U.S. residents, and offered free COVID-19 vaccines and treatment. Many of these policies are now likely to end as the Biden administration in May 2023 formally declares the pandemic to be over, although what comes next remains unclear.

A person walks with luggage in John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
Policy Beat
November 30, 2022
After a Slump, Legal Immigration to the United States Is Returning to Pre-Pandemic Levels

Legal immigration to the United States fell to its lowest level in years during the COVID-19 pandemic, but preliminary data suggest it is returning to previous levels, belying predictions that the public-health crisis had allowed the Trump administration to make lasting, deep cuts. Yet the patterns have changed and persistent case processing backlogs could spell long-term problems, as this article explores.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks before a briefing on border security.
Policy Beat
September 28, 2022
Busing and Flights of Migrants by GOP Governors Mark a New Twist in State Intervention on Immigration

Operations by Texas, Florida, and Arizona to bus or fly asylum seekers and other migrants to Washington, DC, Martha's Vineyard, and other cities have succeeded in drawing attention to the unprecedented pace of U.S.-Mexico border arrivals. Described by some as political pawns, many migrants say the trips have upsides. Consequences aside, the transport of migrants by Republican governors raises the question whether a new era has begun: state-on-state fights over immigration.

Image of aspiring pastor and DACA recipient speaking at DACA event in Minneapolis
Policy Beat
June 9, 2022
At Its 10th Anniversary, DACA Faces a Tenuous Future Despite Societal Benefits

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program reached its 10th anniversary in June 2022. This article reviews the evidence on DACA’s impacts for Dreamers and the broader society, looks at the increased reliance on similar limited legal statuses to help segments of the unauthorized immigrant population, and examines the legal challenges the program has and is continuing to face.

U.S. immigration officials walk by a courthouse in Seattle.
Policy Beat
April 27, 2022
For Overwhelmed Immigration Court System, New ICE Guidelines Could Lead to Dismissal of Many Low-Priority Cases

New Biden administration guidelines encourage immigration prosecutors to support dismissing many low-priority deportation cases and focus on criminals, threats to national security, and other priorities. This move could have a major impact on clearing backlogs in the overstretched U.S. immigration court system, resulting in quicker determinations in removal and asylum cases, where wait times can presently stretch for years.

A pile of documents on a desk.
Policy Beat
February 23, 2022
Mounting Backlogs Undermine U.S. Immigration System and Impede Biden Policy Changes

President Joe Biden has made efforts to overhaul the U.S. immigration system, but could see his administration's agenda slowed by massive backlogs across the immigration system. Case application wait times and immigration court queues have swelled during the COVID-19 pandemic, slowing legal arrivals to the United States and undermining the entire immigration system.

An Afghan man speaks to an interpeter working with the U.S. Marine Corps.
Policy Beat
July 27, 2021
U.S. Government Rush to Evacuate Afghan Allies and Allocate Sufficient Special Visas Comes at Eleventh Hour

The U.S. government is racing to speed up the evacuation and immigration of Afghan translators and others who provided assistance during the 20-year war in Afghanistan. The eleventh-hour moves are a response to long delays and backlogs that have plagued the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program since it was unveiled more than a decade ago. This article provides an overview of the SIV program and the rush to evacuate Afghan allies.

Airport protest
Top Ten
December 20, 2017
Under Trump Administration, United States Takes Steps to Narrow Legal Immigration

During its first year, the Trump administration methodically put in place a series of bureaucratic barriers that could significantly reduce opportunities for foreigners to come to the United States legally. Among the actions taken during 2017: Imposition of a much-challenged travel ban suspending the entry of nationals from certain Muslim-majority countries, cuts to refugee admissions, and increased scrutiny for visa applicants.

Policy Beat
June 15, 2007
Senate Immigration Bill, Attacked from All Sides, Gains Second Chance

MPI's Aaron Matteo Terrazas, Dawn Konet, and Julia Gelatt report on the Senate's comprehensive immigration reform bill, Iraqi refugee resettlement, temporary changes to U.S. passport requirements, and more.

Policy Beat
May 15, 2007
After Long Negotiations, Senate Takes Up Immigration Reform Again
MPI's Dawn Konet and Julia Gelatt report on the beginning of new Senate debates on immigration and the events leading up to this debate; a breakdown in negotiations over a U.S.-Canada program for land-border crossers; TPS extensions; and more.
Policy Beat
April 16, 2007
Congress and White House Release Competing Proposals for Immigration Reform

MPI's Dawn Konet and Julia Gelatt report on the Strive Act and a White House plan for immigration reform, the delay in implementing Real ID requirements, the Child Citizen Protection Act, and more.

Policy Beat
March 15, 2007
President Agrees to Delay of Real ID Act Requirements

MPI's Dawn Konet and Julia Gelatt report on postponement of Real ID Act requirements, Senator Barack Obama's citizenship bill, a passport exemption for U.S. and Canadian children, and more.

Policy Beat
February 15, 2007
President Calls for $13 Billion in Border and Enforcement Funding in 2008

MPI's Julia Gelatt reports on immigration and integration funding in the 2008 budget, plans to raise immigration and naturalization application fees, reports of substandard conditions in immigrant detention facilities, and more.

Policy Beat
January 15, 2007
New Congress Takes First Steps toward Immigration Reform
Julia Gelatt reports on legislation plans of the new Congress, a proposal to revise and expand the Visa Waiver Program, the postponement of tracking visitor exits, the Swift & Co. raids, new cost estimates for a border fence, and more.
Policy Beat
December 1, 2006
Elections Improve Odds for Immigration Reform in 2007

MPI’s Julia Gelatt reports on the prospects for comprehensive immigration reform in 2007, the role of immigration reform in the November elections, plans to raise fees for immigration benefits, the first phase of Boeing’s border control strategy, and more.

Policy Beat
November 1, 2006
President Signs DHS Appropriations and Secure Fence Act, New Detainee Bill Has Repercussions for Noncitizens

MPI's Julia Gelatt reports on the DHS appropriations legislation, the Secure Fence Act, and the potential effects of the new terrorist interrogation and detention law on noncitizens in the United States.

Policy Beat
October 1, 2006
House Calls for Tighter Internal Enforcement and Border Fence, USCIS Claims to Meet Backlog Reduction Deadline

MPI's Julia Gelatt reports on House passage of strict immigration enforcement bills, USCIS progress on meeting backlog reduction goals, Boeing's border-security contract, and the smaller-than-anticipated immigration marches held in early September.

Policy Beat
September 1, 2006
Fall Forecast: Immigration Reform Unlikely, Census Bureau Issues New Data on the U.S. Foreign-Born Population

MPI's Julia Gelatt reports on Congressional action on immigration reform, the costs of the Senate-passed reform bill, new Census data on the U.S. foreign-born population, proposals for greater scrutiny of immigration judges' performance, changes in immigration policy for Cubans, and more.

ddixon_9.06
Feature
September 1, 2006
America's Emigrants: U.S. Retirement Migration to Mexico and Panama

Little is known about Americans who have retired to Latin America. MPI's David Dixon, Julie Murray, and Julia Gelatt examine the U.S. retiree population in Mexico and Panama by looking at census and visa data as well as by interviewing American retirees in various communities.

Policy Beat
August 1, 2006
Congressional Republicans Continue Field Hearings on Immigration, Introduce New Immigration Reform Proposal

MPI's Julia Gelatt reports on Congressional field hearings on immigration reform, the latest proposal for immigration reform, new regulations guiding implementation of Medicaid's new proof-of-citizenship requirements, Senate passage of a DHS appropriations bill for 2007, and the extension of the Voting Rights Act.

Policy Beat
July 1, 2006
Congressional Negotiations Stall while Bush Administration Pushes Enforcement, Integration

MPI's Julia Gelatt and Malia Politzer report on the delay of Congressional negotiations on immigration, the DHS appropriations bill, new regulations for following up on mismatched Social Security numbers, and other policy news.

Spotlight
July 1, 2006
Detailed Characteristics of the Caribbean Born in the United States in 2000

The Caribbean born accounted for almost 10 percent of the total U.S. foreign-born population in 2000. MPI's Julia Gelatt and David Dixon look at the social and economic profiles of the foreign born from this region.

Policy Beat
June 1, 2006
Senate Approves Scaled-Back Immigration Bill, President Calls for National Guard on Border

MPI's Julia Gelatt reports on the Senate's passage of historic immigration legislation; President Bush's plan for deploying the National Guard at the border; and the waiver of the material support bar for refugees from Burma, plus other immigration news.

Spotlight
May 1, 2006
Detailed Characteristics of the South American Born in the United States in 2000

The majority of South American born counted in the 2000 census were from Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. MPI's David Dixon and Julia Gelatt look at the social and economic profiles of the foreign born from this region.

Policy Beat
May 1, 2006
Senate Debate Resumes and DHS Boosts Internal Enforcement

MPI's Julia Gelatt reports on the provisions of the Senate compromise immigration bill; new strategies for internal immigration enforcement; and Georgia's strict new controls regarding unauthorized immigrants, plus other immigration news.

Policy Beat
April 1, 2006
Senate Debates Temporary Worker Program and Path to Legal Status for the Unauthorized

MPI's Julia Gelatt reports on the Judiciary Committee's proposals for immigration reform, which set the stage for Senate debate on the topic, plus other immigration news.

Policy Beat
March 1, 2006
Bush calls for Worksite Enforcement Funding in 2007, Senate Poised to Debate Immigration Reform

MPI’s Julia Gelatt reports on funding for immigration in Bush’s 2007 budget proposal, the State of the Union Address, upcoming immigration debate in the Senate, expedited removal along the northern border, and more.

Policy Beat
February 1, 2006
Bush Immigration Appointees, Immigration Judges Criticized

MPI's Julia Gelatt reports on immigration leadership appointments, changes to the citizenship test, criticism of immigration judges, new border initiatives, and more.

Policy Beat
January 1, 2006
House Passes Enforcement Bill Lacking Temporary Worker Program

MPI's Julia Gelatt reports on House passage of immigration enforcement legislation, immigration measures in budget legislation, upcoming regulations for worksite enforcement, new government reports, and more.

Policy Beat
December 1, 2005
President Bush Pushes for Increased Enforcement and a Temporary Worker Program

MPI’s Julia Gelatt reports on Bush's latest immigration reform speeches in Arizona and Texas, new proposals for immigration reform, calls for the merger of immigration agencies, and more.

Policy Beat
November 1, 2005
Bush Puts Immigration Reform Back on Agenda, Approves Funding for DHS
MPI's Julia Gelatt reports on President Bush's renewed call for immigration reform, appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for 2006, leadership changes within DHS, and more.
Policy Beat
October 1, 2005
Aftermath of Katrina Affects Immigration Enforcement
MPI's Julie Murray and Julia Gelatt report on immigration enforcement following Hurricane Katrina, increased immigration prosecutions along the border, recent rulings on benefits for immigrants, the expansion of expedited removal, and more.
Feature
October 1, 2005
Schengen and the Free Movement of People Across Europe

Schengen eliminated border controls between European countries, and established a common external border. MPI's Julia Gelatt explains the changes brought by Schengen and the effects Schengen has had on European border control, visa, and asylum policies.

Policy Beat
September 1, 2005
CAFTA Brings Immigration Debate, Local Enforcement Tactics Struck Down
MPI's Julia Gelatt and Megan Davy reports on CAFTA's immigration effects, local immigration enforcement tactics, immigrants' access to healthcare, H-1B visa caps, new technology for border security, and more.
Policy Beat
August 1, 2005
Immigration Reform Bill and DHS Restructuring Focus on Enforcement and Facilitation
MPI's Julia Gelatt reports on Senators Cornyn and Kyl's comprehensive immigration reform bill, Secretary Chertoff's announcement on changes to the DHS, voting rights for Mexican citizens abroad, and more.
Policy Beat
July 1, 2005
Free Flights and New Enforcement Proposals Address Unauthorized Migrants
Julia Gelatt and Jennifer Yau report on resumption of free flights for undocumented border crossers, Senators Kyl and Cornyn's immigration enforcement proposals, and the use of immigration laws in national security investigations.
Male and female business professionals gathered at a conference table
Short Reads
May 2026
The Immigration Debate America Needs—and Is Not Having
By  Julia Gelatt, Doris Meissner and Andrew Selee
Image of a hand holding a passport with the stamp 'rejected' on a passport page
Short Reads
April 2026
Trump Restrictions on Legal Immigration Could Sharply Reduce U.S. Population Growth
By  Julia Gelatt
Empty hospital waiting area
Short Reads
January 2026
Trump Administration Public-Charge Rule Would Amplify Harms to Immigrant Families
By  Julia Gelatt
Image of a newborn baby's feet
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
Image of parents posing with daughter
Short Reads
November 2024
The Overlooked Impact of Immigration on the Size of the Future U.S. Workforce
By  Jeanne Batalova, Michael Fix and Julia Gelatt
A DACA recipient speaks at a DACA 12th anniversary event at the White House
Short Reads
July 2024
Diverse Flows Drive Increase in U.S. Unauthorized Immigrant Population
By  Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Julia Gelatt and Jennifer Van Hook
Vice President Kamala Harris participates in a DACA roundtable
Short Reads
September 2023
A Turning Point for the Unauthorized Immigrant Population in the United States
By  Jennifer Van Hook, Julia Gelatt and Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
President Biden meets with DACA recipients
Short Reads
September 2023
A Shrinking Number of DACA Participants Face Yet Another Adverse Court Ruling
By  Ariel G. Ruiz Soto and Julia Gelatt
Graphic image of man's hand touching screen with word skills
Short Reads
July 2023
Canada's New Tech Talent Strategy Takes Aim at High-Skilled Immigrants in the United States
By  Kate Hooper, Jeanne Batalova and Julia Gelatt
A U.S. service member helps an older Afghan woman off a plane at a naval air station
Short Reads
March 2022
Straight Path to Legal Permanent Residence for Afghan Evacuees Would Build on Strong U.S. Precedent
By  Julia Gelatt and Doris Meissner
Short Reads
January 2021
Nearly 3 Million U.S. Citizens and Legal Immigrants Initially Excluded under the CARES Act Are Covered under the December 2020 COVID-19 Stimulus
By  Julia Gelatt, Randy Capps and Michael Fix
Short Reads
July 2020
Millions of U.S. Citizens Could Be Excluded under Trump Plan to Remove Unauthorized Immigrants from Census Data
By  Randy Capps, Jennifer Van Hook and Julia Gelatt
Short Reads
March 2020
The Public-Charge Rule: Broad Impacts, But Few Will Be Denied Green Cards Based on Actual Benefits Use
By  Randy Capps, Julia Gelatt and Mark Greenberg
Short Reads
October 2019
Health Insurance Test for Green-Card Applicants Could Sharply Cut Future U.S. Legal Immigration
By  Julia Gelatt and Mark Greenberg
Short Reads
September 2019
As the United States Resettles Fewer Refugees, Some Countries and Religions Face Bigger Hits than Others
By  Mark Greenberg, Julia Gelatt and Amy Holovnia
Short Reads
March 2019
More Than a DREAM (Act), Less Than a Promise
By  Julia Gelatt
Short Reads
September 2018
People Leave Footprints: Millions More Unauthorized Immigrants Cannot Be ‘Hidden’ in Data Estimates
By  Julia Gelatt, Michael Fix and Jennifer Van Hook
Short Reads
June 2018
A Narrower Path in the House for Most DREAMers
By  Julia Gelatt and Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
Short Reads
February 2018
The Diversity Visa Program Holds Lessons for Future Legal Immigration Reform
By  Julia Gelatt
Short Reads
January 2018
The Trump Immigration Plan: A Lopsided Proposal
By  Julia Gelatt and Sarah Pierce
Short Reads
November 2017
Legalization for DREAMers: A Realistic Appraisal of Potential Chain Migration
By  Julia Gelatt and Randy Capps
Short Reads
September 2017
All Eyes Turn to Congress, Following Trump Decision to Terminate DACA Program
By  Julia Gelatt
Short Reads
August 2017
The RAISE Act: Dramatic Change to Family Immigration, Less So for the Employment-Based System
By  Julia Gelatt
Video, Audio
April 24, 2025

Immigration Actions in First 100 Days of Trump Second Term

Top analysts assess the most consequential immigration actions taken during the first 100 days of President Trump's second term, detail the litigation picture, and analyze some of the early effects of policies on U.S. communities.

Video, Audio
April 11, 2023

Meeting Global Skills and Talent Needs in Changing Labor Markets

Marking the launch of MPI’s Global Skills and Talent Initiative, this webcast features senior policymakers and other experts discussing the extent to which labor market needs should shape future immigration policy decisions, and how countries are adjusting—and could adjust—their immigration systems to meet human capital and competitiveness needs.

Expert Q&A, Audio
November 12, 2021

Leveraging the Benefits That Immigration Can Bring

In this World of Migration podcast episode, MPI Senior Fellow Michael Fix speaks with Senior Policy Analyst Julia Gelatt about the fiscal impacts of immigration, the importance of immigrant integration, how a greater focus on credential recognition could allow immigrants to more fully utilize the academic and professional skills they bring with them, and much more.

Video, Audio
August 26, 2020

Excluding Millions: How Trump Administration Changes to the Decennial Census Could Leave Out U.S. Citizens and Immigrants

This conversation, featuring a former U.S. Census Bureau director and other top experts, examines how the many challenges facing the 2020 Census could affect the count and representation of immigrant communities, the difficulties inherent in data matching to determine legal status, and the legal and constitutional issues surrounding the administration’s actions.

Video, Audio
March 5, 2020

Green Cards and Public Charge: Who Could Be Denied Based on Benefits Use?

On this webinar, MPI experts discussed the public-charge rule and released estimates of the populations that could be deemed ineligible for a green card based on existing benefits use.

Pages

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.

Graphic representation of law enforcement personnel taking individuals into custody
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.

Collection of illustrations related to finance, business, and people working together
Explainers
October 2024

Explainer: Immigrants and the U.S. Economy

The question of whether immigration represents a net cost or a net benefit to the U.S. economy has been a major source of contention, even as the research literature and thinking among economists has been quite clear. A strong body of research and consensus by most economists finds that immigration, on balance, is a net positive for the U.S. economy. This explainer walks through the issues.

Explainer_LegalImmigrationSystem Legal Immigration Pie_small
Explainers
April 2019

Explainer: How the U.S. Legal Immigration System Works

Through which visa categories can immigrants move temporarily or permanently to the United States? What are the main channels by which people come, and who can sponsor them for a green card? Are there limits on visa categories? And who is waiting in the green-card backlog? This explainer answers basic questions about temporary and permanent immigration via family, employment, humanitarian, and other channels.

Recent Activity

Short Reads
May 2026

The Immigration Debate America Needs—and Is Not Having

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.

Short Reads
April 2026

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

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
January 2026

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

A Trump administration proposed rule that would give government adjudicators wide discretion in deciding when public benefits use can be held against green-card applicants and prospective immigrants could discourage many eligible households, including those with U.S.-citizen children, from accessing health, nutrition, and education supports—with significant implications for well-being, as this short read explains.

Fact Sheets
October 2025

Changing Origins, Rising Numbers: Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States

The 13.7 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States as of mid-2023 reflect increasingly diverse origins, socioeconomic and labor market characteristics, family composition, and places of settlement. This fact sheet explores those trends, drawing on MPI's detailed data profiles of the unauthorized immigrant population at U.S., state, and top county levels. 

Reports
September 2025

All in for a Thriving Connecticut: Opportunities to Support Upward Mobility for the State’s Immigrant Families

Immigrants comprise 15 percent of Connecticut’s population, and nearly 30 percent of children in the state are part of immigrant families. Having driven all state population and workforce growth over the last 15 years, immigrants are an important part of Connecticut’s present and its future. This report examines state policies and systems that aim to support upward mobility for all families, highlighting ways in which they could better meet the needs of low-income immigrant families.

Short Reads
May 2025

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

Repealing birthright citizenship for babies born on U.S. soil to unauthorized immigrants or temporary visa holders would have a contrary result from its stated aim of reducing the unauthorized immigrant population. Projections from MPI and Penn State show that ending birthright citizenship would increase the unauthorized population by 2.7 million as of 2045 and by 5.4 million as of 2075.

Video, Audio, Webinars
April 24, 2025

Immigration Actions in First 100 Days of Trump Second Term

Top analysts assess the most consequential immigration actions taken during the first 100 days of President Trump's second term, detail the litigation picture, and analyze some of the early effects of policies on 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.

Pages