Nicole Prchal Svajlenka is the director of research for the Rights and Justice department at American Progress. She works with teams across Rights and Justice to develop research strategies, projects, and analyses to advance their policy agendas.
Prior to this role, Svajlenka was a member of American Progress’ Immigration Policy team. In this position, she worked on a diverse set of immigration issues ranging from enforcement to winning protections for undocumented immigrants, with a focus on bringing together data and quantitative analysis with individuals’ experiences. Svajlenka has spent more than a decade working in think tanks, including at the Brookings Institution, where she conducted research on immigration, human capital, and labor markets in metropolitan areas across the United States, and The Pew Charitable Trusts, where she examined the relationships between federal, state, and local immigration policies.
Svajlenka holds a Master of Arts in geography from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in environmental geography from Colgate University.
DACA Boosts Recipients’ Well-Being and Economic Contributions: 2022 Survey Results
The eighth annual survey of DACA recipients shows, yet again, DACA recipients’ many contributions to their communities and the U.S. economy more broadly while highlighting the need for a pathway to citizenship.
The Title 42 Expulsion Policy Does Nothing To Prevent the Spread of COVID-19
Issued as a public health measure, there is no statistical evidence that border expulsions under Title 42 result in a lower COVID-19 case rate in the United States.
2021 Survey of DACA Recipients Underscores the Importance of a Pathway to Citizenship
The seventh annual survey of DACA recipients illustrates DACA’s myriad benefits—as well as why policymakers must create a pathway to citizenship for recipients.
Including Immigration Parole in Reconciliation Will Help Millions
While not providing permanent protections, including immigration parole in reconciliation would allow up to 7.1 million undocumented immigrants to gain long-term temporary status while satisfying the objections of the Senate parliamentarian.
Fact Sheet: State-by-State Estimates of Eligibility for a 2010 Immigration Registry Update
Updating the Immigration and Nationality Act’s registry date from 1972 to 2010 would allow millions of undocumented immigrants to access a pathway to citizenship.
Nicole Prchal Svajlenka and Claudia Flores explain how putting undocumented immigrants on a pathway to citizenship can boost the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fact Sheet: State-by-State Estimates of Citizenship in Budget Reconciliation
The proposed House budget reconciliation bill would create a pathway to citizenship for 6.9 million Dreamers, those eligible for Temporary Protected Status, and essential workers—including farmworkers—all while boosting U.S. economy.
