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.

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 ** 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.

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 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.

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

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 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.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Employment Level - Foreign Born (LNU02073395) from Jan 2007 to Jun 2025 about foreign, household survey, employment, and USA.

Acknowledgement

The following table is imported from the 2019 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics under the Department of Homeland Security:

The 2019 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics is a compendium of tables that provide data on foreign nationals who are granted lawful permanent residence (i.e., immigrants who receive a “green card”), admitted as temporary nonimmigrants, granted asylum or refugee status, or are naturalized. The Yearbook also presents data on immigration enforcement actions, including apprehensions and arrests, removals, and returns.

Table 39. Aliens Removed or Returned: Fiscal Years 1892 to 2019 (https://www.dhs.gov/immigration-statistics/yearbook/2019/table39)

Inspiration

The data was collected to observe trends in history reflecting the number of immigrants deported - more specifically removed or returned.

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.

Nationwide Illegal Alien Apprehension Statistics Fiscal Year 2017

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 *** percent opposed. However, only ** percent of respondents were in favor of deporting all immigrants in the U.S. illegally who have not been convicted of a crime.

Nationwide Illegal Alien Apprehension Statistics Fiscal Year 2015

Nationwide Illegal Alien Apprehension Statistics Fiscal Year 2016

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.

The aim of the Transatlantic Trends Survey is to identify the attitudes of the public in the United States and European countries towards foreign policy issues and transatlantic issues. Transatlantic Trends: Immigration, a special topic public opinion survey conducted yearly since 2008, is a project of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. For 2011, the Immigration survey examined attitudes and policy preferences related to immigration in France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This collection focused on respondent perceptions of legal and illegal immigrants, conditions for admittance of immigrants, level of support for policies to reduce immigration, preconditions for citizenship, and whether or not immigration enriched society. Respondents were asked to identify the most important issues facing their country, to evaluate their government's performance in managing immigration and the economy, whether immigration presented a national opportunity or a problem, and whether they believed immigrants were integrating well into society. Additional topics included the developments in North Africa and the Middle East, responsibility for displaced refugees coming from North Africa, and whether the respondent's nation should offer economic aid to countries committed to democracy. Lastly, respondents were asked about which political party they identified with, their voting intentions in the next national election, and whether political party agendas would influence their vote. Demographic and other background information includes gender, age, stage at which full-time education was completed, age when stopped full-time education, employment status, ethnic background, country of birth, citizenship, parents' citizenship status, type of phone line, ownership of a mobile phone, and the number of people in their household.