The estimated population of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. stands at around ** million people. Although the number has stabilized, the United States has seen a spike in migrant encounters in the last few years, with over * million cases registered by the U.S. Border Patrol in 2023. This is a slight decrease from the previous year, when there were over *** million cases registered. Due to its proximity and shared border, Mexico remains the leading country of origin for most undocumented immigrants in the U.S., with California and Texas being home to the majority.

Immigration and political division

Despite the majority of the population having immigrant roots, the topic of immigration in the U.S. remains one of the country’s longest-standing political debates. Support among Republicans for restrictive immigration has grown alongside Democratic support for open immigration. This growing divide has deepened the polarization between the two major political parties, stifling constructive dialogue and impeding meaningful reform efforts and as a result, has led to dissatisfaction from all sides. In addition to general immigration policy, feelings toward illegal immigration in the U.S. also vary widely. For some, it's seen as a significant threat to national security, cultural identity, and economic stability. This perspective often aligns with support for stringent measures like Trump's proposed border wall and increased enforcement efforts. On the other hand, there are those who are more sympathetic toward undocumented immigrants, as demonstrated by support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Total Illegal Alien Apprehensions By Month From FY 1999 through FY 2014

In the fiscal year of 2020, the United States Border Patrol apprehended ******* people trying to cross the Southwest border. This was a significant decrease from the previous year, when there were ******* apprehensions by Border Patrol at the Southwest border. This decrease is likely due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Significantly more men were apprehended by the United States Border Patrol than women in the the fiscal year of 2020. Nationwide, 329,347 men were apprehended by Border Patrol in that year, compared to 75,678 women who were apprehended.

Total Illegal Alien Apprehensions for the Southwest Border Sectors by Fiscal Year by Sector: 1960 - 2014.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Border Crossing Data provide summary statistics for inbound crossings at the U.S.-Canada and the U.S.-Mexico border at the port level. Data are available for trucks, trains, containers, buses, personal vehicles, passengers, and pedestrians. Border crossing data are collected at ports of entry by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The data reflect the number of vehicles, containers, passengers or pedestrians entering the United States. CBP does not collect comparable data on outbound crossings. Users seeking data on outbound counts may therefore want to review data from individual bridge operators, border state governments, or the Mexican and Canadian governments.

The United States Border Patrol recorded 895 immigrant deaths near the Southwest border in the fiscal year of 2022, the greatest number recorded within the provided time period. In the previous fiscal year, 568 immigrant deaths near the Southwest border were recorded.

The enacted border patrol program budget in the United States has increased from 262.65 million U.S. dollars for the 1990 fiscal year to 4.9 billion U.S. dollars for the 2024 fiscal year. However, the 2024 fiscal year budget request was less than the enacted budget in 2023, which was over 5.4 billion U.S. dollars.

This Dataset contains year, demography, citizenship wise total number of apprehensions in each US State. Note: 1) The U.S. federal government's fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. 2) Encounter data includes U.S. Border Patrol Title 8 apprehensions, Office of Field Operations Title 8 inadmissibles, and all Title 42 expulsions for fiscal years 2020 to date. 3) Data is available for the Northern Land Border, Southwest Land Border, and Nationwide (i.e., air, land, and sea modes of transportation) encounters. 4) Individuals in a Family Unit (FMUA): FMUA represents the number of encountered individuals within the family unit, not the number of units. A Family Unit is defined as a least one non citizen minor child and at least one noncitizen adult parent or legal guardian. For example, a family unit consisting of two or more individuals is encountered. (Continued on page two footer) The data would show two or more individuals, not one family unit. Beginning in March 2020, FMUA data also includes Title 42 Expulsions of a family group of at least one child and one related adult (regardless of whether the adult and child met the definition of a family unit

As a result of the crisis between Belarus and the European Union, Polish border services recorded approximately *** illegal attempts to cross the Polish-Belarusian border in December 2024. Around ****** immigrants, mainly from Middle Eastern and African countries, attempted to cross the border illegally in 2024. It was nearly ***** more than in the previous year. The latest data from April 2025 indicates a significant decrease in illegal crossings, with more than ***** recorded attempts.In 2021, due to the actions of Alexander Lukashenko's government, a migration crisis was initiated on Belarus's border with the European Union. The Belarusian authorities contributed by organizing the transfer of refugees and immigrants from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries of the Middle East and Africa across the Belarusian-Lithuanian and Belarusian-Polish-Latvian borders. These actions were meant to respond to EU sanctions against Belarus caused by the rigged presidential election in 2020 and the repression of oppositionists.

In the fiscal year of 2020, the United States Border Patrol apprehended 30,614 unaccompanied children. This is a significant decrease from the previous fiscal year, when 76,136 unaccompanied minors were apprehended by Border Patrol. This is likely due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

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Nationwide Illegal Alien Apprehension Statistics Fiscal Year 2015

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In 2023 there were 5,608 illegal border crossings into the European Union via it's Eastern borders, compared with 8,160 in 2021. This route typically sees far fewer illegal crossings than the Mediterranean Sea does, however, these have increased sharply in recent years, as the Lukashenko regime in Belarus - a state hostile to the European Union - has allowed increased migration to the EU via its borders with Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. These migrants are generally not Belarussians, but migrants transitting through Belarus to the EU, mostly from the Middle East or North Africa. The Lukashenko regime aims to put pressure on the EU to remove sanctions on Belarus, which have been in place since the country's fraudulent election in 2020 and the subsequent suppression of the mass protest movement which developed to oppose the regime.

Nationwide Illegal Alien Apprehension Statistics Fiscal Year 2016

Nationwide Illegal Alien Apprehension Statistics Fiscal Year 2017

Enacted Border Patrol Program Budget by Fiscal Year (Dollars in Thousands)for FY-1990 to FY 2013