Key facts about U.S. immigration policies and Biden’s proposed changes
Since Joe Biden took office in 2021, his administration has acted on a number of fronts to reverse Trump-era restrictions on immigration.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Since Joe Biden took office in 2021, his administration has acted on a number of fronts to reverse Trump-era restrictions on immigration.
54% of Hispanics in the U.S. say establishing a way for most unauthorized immigrants to stay in the country legally is very important.
Proposals to change the U.S. immigration system have received renewed attention under the Trump administration. Read key details about U.S. immigration programs.
The Obama administration deported 333,341 unauthorized immigrants in the 2015 fiscal year, a decline of about 81,000 (or 20%) from the prior year.
The Obama administration deported 414,481 unauthorized immigrants in fiscal 2014, a drop from the prior year driven by a decline in deportations of immigrants with a criminal conviction.
This change comes after a period in which net migration of Mexicans to the U.S. had fallen to lows not seen since the 1940s.
About as many Hispanics support the current system for deciding immigration cases as do those expediting the process (49% – 47%), which would have the effect of speeding up deportations.
Between 1992 and 2012, the number of offenders sentenced in federal courts more than doubled, driven largely by a 28-fold increase in the number of unlawful reentry convictions.
The Obama administration has provided a way for young unauthorized immigrants brought to the country illegally as children to remain in the U.S., but the total number of deportations of unauthorized immigrants continue at near record levels.
1615 L St. NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
USA
(+1) 202-419-4300 | Main
(+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax
(+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries
ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.
© 2024 Pew Research Center