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.

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.

United States Immigrants Admitted: All Countries data was reported at 1,127,167.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,183,505.000 Person for 2016. United States Immigrants Admitted: All Countries data is updated yearly, averaging 451,510.000 Person from Sep 1900 (Median) to 2017, with 118 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,827,167.000 Person in 1991 and a record low of 23,068.000 Person in 1933. United States Immigrants Admitted: All Countries data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Department of Homeland Security. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.G087: Immigration.

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.

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.

The study analyzes the forces leading to or impeding the assimilation of 18- to 32-year-olds from immigrant backgrounds that vary in terms of race, language, and the mix of skills and liabilities their parents brought to the United States. To make sure that what we find derives specifically from growing up in an immigrant family, rather than simply being a young person in New York, a comparison group of people from native born White, Black, and Puerto Rican backgrounds was also studied. The sample was drawn from New York City (except for Staten Island) and the surrounding counties in the inner part of the New York-New Jersey metropolitan region where the vast majority of immigrants and native born minority group members live and grow up. The study groups make possible a number of interesting comparisons. Unlike many other immigrant groups, the West Indian first generation speaks English, but the dominant society racially classifies them as Black. The study explored how their experiences resemble or differ from native born African Americans. Dominicans and the Colombian-Peruvian-Ecuadoran population both speak Spanish, but live in different parts of New York, have different class backgrounds prior to immigration, and, quite often, different skin tones. The study compared them to Puerto Rican young people, who, along with their parents, have the benefit of citizenship. Chinese immigrants from the mainland tend to have little education, while young people with overseas Chinese parents come from families with higher incomes, more education, and more English fluency. Respondents were divided into eight groups depending on their parents' origin. Those of immigrant ancestry include: Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union; Chinese immigrants from the mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Chinese Diaspora; immigrants from the Dominican Republic; immigrants from the English-speaking countries of the West Indies (including Guyana but excluding Haiti and those of Indian origin); and immigrants from Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. These groups composed 44 percent of the 2000 second-generation population in the defined sample area. For comparative purposes, Whites, Blacks, and Puerto Ricans who were born in the United States and whose parents were born in the United States or Puerto Rico were also interviewed. To be eligible, a respondent had to have a parent from one of these groups. If the respondent was eligible for two groups, he or she was asked which designation he or she preferred. The ability to compare these groups with native born Whites, Blacks, and Puerto Ricans permits researchers to investigate the effects of nativity while controlling for race and language background. About two-thirds of second-generation respondents were born in the United States, mostly in New York City, while one-third were born abroad but arrived in the United States by age 12 and had lived in the country for at least 10 years, except for those from the former Soviet Union, some of whom arrived past the age of 12. The project began with a pilot study in July 1996. Survey data collection took place between November 1999 and December 1999. The study includes demographic variables such as race, ethnicity, language, age, education, income, family size, country of origin, and citizenship status.

This data collection contains information on the characteristics of aliens who became legal permanent residents of the United States in fiscal year 1974 (July 1973 through June 1974). Data are presented for two types of immigrants. The first category, New Arrivals, arrived from outside the United States with valid immigrant visas issued by the United States Department of State. Those in the second category, Adjustments, were already in the United States with temporary status and were adjusted to legal permanent residence through petition to the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service. Variables include port of entry, month and year of admission, class of admission, and state and area to which immigrants were admitted. Demographic information such as age, sex, marital status, occupation, country of birth, country of last permanent residence, and nationality is also provided.

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.

This data collection contains information on the characteristics of aliens who became legal permanent residents of the United States in fiscal year 1991 (October 1990 through September 1991). Data are presented for two types of immigrants. The first category, New Arrivals, arrived from outside the United States with valid immigrant visas issued by the United States Department of State. Those in the second category, Adjustments, were already in the United States with temporary status and were adjusted to legal permanent residence through petition to the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service. Variables include port of entry, month and year of admission, class of admission, and state and area to which immigrants were admitted. Demographic information such as age, sex, marital status, occupation, country of birth, country of last permanent residence, and nationality is also provided.

Russia Number of Immigrants: Year to Date: Non CIS Countries data was reported at 54,693.000 Person in Dec 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 34,297.000 Person for Sep 2018. Russia Number of Immigrants: Year to Date: Non CIS Countries data is updated quarterly, averaging 9,827.000 Person from Mar 1997 (Median) to Dec 2018, with 88 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 64,582.000 Person in Dec 2017 and a record low of 1,600.000 Person in Mar 2001. Russia Number of Immigrants: Year to Date: Non CIS Countries data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal State Statistics Service. The data is categorized under Russia Premium Database’s Demographic and Labour Market – Table RU.GE001: Migration: ytd: Summary.

Russia Number of Immigrants: Year to Date: Non CIS: USA data was reported at 959.000 Person in Dec 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 679.000 Person for Sep 2018. Russia Number of Immigrants: Year to Date: Non CIS: USA data is updated quarterly, averaging 375.000 Person from Mar 1999 (Median) to Dec 2018, with 80 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,240.000 Person in Dec 2017 and a record low of 71.000 Person in Mar 2005. Russia Number of Immigrants: Year to Date: Non CIS: USA data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal State Statistics Service. The data is categorized under Russia Premium Database’s Demographic and Labour Market – Table RU.GE005: Number of Immigrants: by Country: ytd.

Russia Number of Immigrants: Year to Date: Non CIS: Israel data was reported at 625.000 Person in Dec 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 441.000 Person for Sep 2018. Russia Number of Immigrants: Year to Date: Non CIS: Israel data is updated quarterly, averaging 612.500 Person from Mar 1999 (Median) to Dec 2018, with 80 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,808.000 Person in Dec 2003 and a record low of 110.000 Person in Mar 2018. Russia Number of Immigrants: Year to Date: Non CIS: Israel data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal State Statistics Service. The data is categorized under Russia Premium Database’s Demographic and Labour Market – Table RU.GE005: Number of Immigrants: by Country: ytd.

Russia Number of Immigrants: Year to Date: Non CIS: Others data was reported at 32,705.000 Person in Dec 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 18,741.000 Person for Sep 2018. Russia Number of Immigrants: Year to Date: Non CIS: Others data is updated quarterly, averaging 3,696.500 Person from Mar 1999 (Median) to Dec 2018, with 80 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 39,581.000 Person in Dec 2017 and a record low of 383.000 Person in Mar 2006. Russia Number of Immigrants: Year to Date: Non CIS: Others data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal State Statistics Service. The data is categorized under Russia Premium Database’s Demographic and Labour Market – Table RU.GE005: Number of Immigrants: by Country: ytd.

Russia Number of Immigrants: Year to Date: CIS: Azerbaijan data was reported at 26,690.000 Person in Dec 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 18,938.000 Person for Sep 2018. Russia Number of Immigrants: Year to Date: CIS: Azerbaijan data is updated quarterly, averaging 10,233.500 Person from Mar 1997 (Median) to Dec 2018, with 88 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 29,900.000 Person in Dec 1997 and a record low of 665.000 Person in Mar 2004. Russia Number of Immigrants: Year to Date: CIS: Azerbaijan data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal State Statistics Service. The data is categorized under Russia Premium Database’s Demographic and Labour Market – Table RU.GE005: Number of Immigrants: by Country: ytd.