In 2022, about 2.58 million illegal aliens were apprehended in the United States. This was a significant increase from the previous year, when there were around 1.87 million illegal aliens apprehended nationwide. Apprehensions refer to Border Patrol apprehensions and ICE administrative arrests.

In 2022, an estimated 10.99 million unauthorized immigrants were living in the United States. This is an increase from about 3.5 million unauthorized immigrants who lived in the United States in 1990.

The estimated population of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. stands at around 11 million people. Although the number has stabilized, the United States has seen a spike in migrant encounters in the last few years, with over two million cases registered by the U.S. Border Patrol in 2023. This is a slight decrease from the previous year, when there were over 2.2 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.

In January 2022, it was estimated that about 1.85 million male illegal immigrants living in the United States were aged between 35 and 44 years old. In that same year, it was estimated that 1.52 million female illegal immigrants living in the U.S. were between 35 and 44 years old.

In 2022, the greatest number of illegal aliens returned in the United States were from the Philippines, with 39,891 illegal aliens returned. India, Canada, China, and Russia rounded out the top five in that year.

As of January 2022, it was estimated that about 4.81 million illegal immigrants from Mexico were living in the United States. It was also estimated that 750,000 illegal immigrants from Guatemala were living in the United States.

In 2022, the greatest number of illegal aliens apprehended in the United States were from Mexico, with 836,844 illegal aliens apprehended. Guatemala, Cuba, Honduras, and Venezuela rounded out the top five in that year.

This statistic shows the estimated GDP loss if all illegal immigrant workers were removed from the United States. As of September 2016, the manufacturing industry would suffer an estimated 74 billion U.S. dollar decline in GDP output if all illegal immigrant workers were removed from the U.S.

In 2019, California had the highest population of unauthorized immigrants, at around 2.74 million. The overall figure for the United States was estimated to be around 11.05 million unauthorized immigrants.

The statistic shows the number of illegal immigrants living in the U.S. from 2000 to 2012, as estimated by the Department of Homeland Security. As of 2012, about 11.4 million illegal immigrants were living in the United States.

This statistic shows the estimated percentage of employed undocumented immigrants in the United States in 2016, distinguished by industry. In 2017, around 14.2 percent of agriculture workers were estimated to be undocumented immigrants.

This statistic shows the top ten metropolitan areas in the United States with highest unauthorized immigrant populations in 2014. With over one million unauthorized people, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA had the highest illegal immigrant population in the United States in 2014.

In the United States, around 97,391 illegal persons from Asia were returned in 2021, the highest of any region of origin. Illegal persons coming from elsewhere in North America made up the second highest with 52,562 returns.

In the fiscal year of 2020, the United States Border Patrol apprehended 400,651 people trying to cross the Southwest border. This was a significant decrease from the previous year, when there were 851,508 apprehensions by Border Patrol at the Southwest border. This decrease is likely due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

According to a survey conducted early in 2025, the vast majority of Americans agreed that all immigrants living in the U.S. illegally who have been convicted of a violent crime should be deported. Only six percent opposed. However, only 37 percent of respondents were in favor of deporting all immigrants in the U.S. illegally who have not been convicted of a crime.

This statistic shows the estimated tax paid by illegal immigrants in the United States in 2014. Illegal immigrants in the U.S. paid an estimated 3.6 billion U.S. dollars in property tax in that year.

This statistic shows the number of unauthorized Indian immigrants in the United States from 1990 to 2014. As of 2014, around 500,000 unauthorized immigrants in the United States were from India.

This statistic illustrates the number of undocumented migrant arrivals in the United States in 2016, by method of arrival. In that year, 320,000 migrants entered the U.S. by overstaying their visa.

As of February 2024, over one-third of adults in the United States strongly supported the implementation of military troops to arrest and deport illegal immigrants. In total, roughly 56 percent of Americans supported the use of military for arrests and deportations at the U.S. border.

Adults who lean towards the Democratic Party are less likely to believe that undocumented immigrants commit more crimes than U.S. citizens, with a 2018 survey finding that 86 percent of Democrats who correctly believe that most immigrants live in the U.S. legally also believe that undocumented immigrants are no more likely than U.S. citizens to commit serious crimes. This drops to 38 percent for Republicans who believe the majority of immigrants are undocumented.

It was estimated that, in 2015, around 75 percent of immigrants in the United States were living in the country legally.