Cancer stem cells(CSCs) are a small group of special undifferentiated cells in tumor tissues. Because of the drug tolerance and tumorigenic potential, CSCs are considered to be the source of tumor occurrence, recurrence and metastasis. Therefore, it is very significant to understand the characteristics of CSCs in augmenting clinical therapeutic efficiency. In tumor microenvironment the complex crosstalk between immune cells and CSCs sustains the stemness and self-renewal ability of CSCs. The effect of immune microenvironment on CSCs, the role of CSCs in shaping immune microenvironment, and the targeted therapy of CSCs or immune microenvironment are hot topics in this field. In this review, the effects of immune microenvironment on the characteristics of CSCs and the research progress of targeting CSCs and microenvironment are summarized.