About this Topic
Every day, people around the world make the difficult decision to leave their home in search of a safer and better life. Some move only a few miles, while others travel across continents. For some, the journey may take a lifetime. This report provides an overview of the nature of human migration, and it examines migrants’ successes, challenges, and outlook on their future.
For most, the reason for moving is to improve the lives of themselves and their families. Most immigrants, including those without a college degree, find that working is the best way to achieve their goals. They are willing to work in industries like construction, agriculture, and service, even when those jobs pay less or require physical labor. And they are eager to contribute to their new communities and country.
Immigrants often face difficulties in their daily lives, though. For instance, about one-third say they have experienced discrimination at work, and more than a quarter have had their legal status violated or been a victim of a crime. In focus groups, many described sacrifices they had to make for the benefit of their children. In some cases, these sacrifices were financial; in other cases they referred to the desire to provide their children with better educational and employment opportunities than they had in their home countries.
Some migrants enter the United States through various pathways, ranging from family ties to employer-sponsored visas. Other migrants are admitted on a humanitarian basis, such as refugees or asylum seekers. And a large number—as many as 17 million in 2023—are living in the United States without lawful immigration status, having entered the country illegally or overstayed their visas.
The vast majority of these migrants come from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States, and they are primarily motivated by economic opportunity, rather than family ties or humanitarian protections. Others arrive as stowaways on commercial vehicles or airplanes, and still others are recruited for jobs as diplomats or other international representatives.
In the past, the nation’s system for legal immigration was based on national quotas and prioritized family reunification. In the future, policymakers will have to decide how best to balance competing priorities for allowing migrants to come into the country. Regardless of how this issue is resolved, it will be crucial to the long-term health of the economy, as the aging U.S. population will place increasing demands on the Social Security and Medicare systems. And to ensure that the American Dream continues for future generations, it will be important to encourage a diverse pool of immigrants from all corners of the globe. This will require expanding legal pathways, as well as making sure that the benefits of immigration are widely understood and appreciated. To accomplish this, we need a more comprehensive approach to integration that includes helping immigrants build generational wealth, climb the socioeconomic ladder, and become civically engaged. This is what it means to truly prosper in America.