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

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.

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.

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

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

This study was conducted to examine whether a rising crime rate in El Paso, Texas and San Diego, California in 1986 could be attributed to, among other factors, the influx of undocumented aliens. Variables include level of involvement of undocumented aliens in serious felony arrests in San Diego and El Paso Counties, the outcome of serious felony arrest cases involving undocumented persons compared to others arrested for similar offenses, the impact of arrests of undocumented aliens on the criminal justice system in terms of workload and cost, the extent that criminal justice agencies coordinate their efforts to apprehend and process undocumented aliens who have committed serious crimes in San Diego and El Paso counties, and how differences in agency objectives impede or enhance coordination. Data are also provided on how many undocumented persons were arrested/convicted for repeat offense in these counties and which type of policies or procedures could be implemented in criminal justice agencies to address the issue of crimes committed by undocumented aliens. Data were collected in the two cities with focus on serious felony offenses. The collection includes sociodemographic characteristics, citizenship status, current arrest, case disposition, and prior criminal history with additional data from San Diego to compute the costs involving undocumented aliens.

From January to June 2025, the highest number of illegal immigrants that arrived in Spain via land and sea came from Mali, with approximately ***** people. The immigrants from Senegal and Algeria were the second and third most numerous group, with ***** and ***** people leaving their country of residence, respectively. More than ****** illegal immigrants reached the Iberian country in 2024. A risky journey Spain, together with Italy and Greece, are the main points of entry to Europe for illegal migration. Most arrivals happen through the Mediterranean Sea, which is a very dangerous journey for migrants. While active since 2006, the migration route from the coasts of West Africa to the Canary Islands (the closest territory of the European Union) has become particularly popular in recent years, even though so many people lost their lives their. Undocumented minors Among those reaching the Spanish territory are undocumented and unaccompanied minors, known in Spanish as "menas” (Menores Extranjeros No Acompañados). In 2018, the number of unaccompanied and separated children that arrived by sea exceeded *****, which represented the largest figure since at least 2014. This number decreased by approximately ***** cases in 2020. Nearly half of them came from Morocco, separated from Spain by merely ** kilometres of water at the Gibraltar Strait's narrowest point.

Users can download reports regarding immigrant issues and view maps of the distribution of the foreign-born population in the U.S. Topics include: immigration policy, migration, English language proficiency, and adult education. Background The Migration Policy Institute is a think tank dedicated to studying human migration across the globe. This website is useful for policymakers and practitioners interested in understanding and responding to immigrant integration. Topics include, but are not limited to: migration, immigration policy, English language proficiency, immigration enforcement, and English language education. User Functionality Users can download reports regarding immigrant int egration issues and immigration trends. Users can also access the State Responses to Immigration Database, the American Community Survey of the Foreign Born, and Who's Where in the United States Database. Users can download data into SAS statistical software. In addition, users can view maps showing the distribution of the foreign-born population in the U.S. Demographic information is available by race/ethnicity, Hispanic origin, place of origin, citizenship status, sex/gender, and marital status. Data Notes Data sources include the New Immigrants Survey, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Immigration Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, United States Census Bureau, U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services, Congressional Research Service, Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, National Immigration Law Ce nter, among others. Full citations and years to which the data apply, are indicated in each report. Data are available on national, state and city levels, depending upon the report.

In 2022, about ****** illegal aliens from Asia were apprehended in the United States, compared to ****** illegal aliens from Europe.

Author: J Schiebel, educator, Minnesota Alliance for Geographic EducationGrade/Audience: grade 8Resource type: lessonSubject topic(s): migrationRegion: united statesStandards: Standard 5. The characteristics, distribution and migration of human populations on the earth’s surface influence human systems (cultural, economic and political systems).Objectives: Students will be able to:

1. Identify push and pull factors of immigration. 2 Identify the types of immigrants including illegal, refugees, and asylum seekers (asylee).
2. Identify their family's immigrant history.
3. Describe Minnesota's immigrant populations, focusing on unauthorized immigrants from Mexico.
4. Create a brief, fact-based editorial in support of or opposed to unauthorized immigration.Summary: This lesson will focus on understanding the reasons behind the movement of unauthorized (illegal) immigrants from Mexico to Minnesota and helping develop an informed opinion about the subject.

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.

Mexican deportations from the United States have fluctuated significantly over the past decade and a half, with the highest numbers occurring during Barack Obama's first term. From 2009 to 2012, nearly **** million Mexicans were deported, a figure that has since declined under subsequent administrations. The Biden administration has seen ******* Mexican nationals deported between 2021 and 2024, marking a slight increase from the Trump years. Recent trends in deportations While deportations saw a sharp decline during the pandemic years, they have since rebounded. In 2024 alone, ****** Mexicans were deported from the United States, indicating a renewed focus on immigration enforcement. This uptick in deportations comes amid a broader increase in unauthorized immigration, with an estimated ***** million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States in 2022, up from about *** million in 1990. Refugees in Mexico The complexities of migration in the Americas extend beyond U.S.-Mexico dynamics. Mexico itself has become a significant host country for refugees, with approximately ******* refugees residing there in 2023. This represents a substantial increase from the previous year, driven largely by Venezuelan, Haitian, and Central American migrants. Honduras remains the primary country of origin for refugees in Mexico, with over ***** Hondurans granted refugee status in 2023, followed by Venezuela with ***** citizens.

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.

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 ****** 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.