What we know about unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S.
The unauthorized immigrant population in the U.S. grew to 11 million in 2022, but remained below the peak of 12.2 million in 2007.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
The unauthorized immigrant population in the U.S. grew to 11 million in 2022, but remained below the peak of 12.2 million in 2007.
The number of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. reached an all-time high after two consecutive years of record growth.
Most say arrests of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally should be allowed at protests or in homes, but not at places of worship or schools.
In this Q&A, we speak with Senior Demographer Jeffrey S. Passel about how the Center estimates the number of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S.
As of June 2025, the country’s foreign-born population had shrunk by more than a million people, marking its first decline since the 1960s.
Since Joe Biden took office in 2021, his administration has acted on a number of fronts to reverse Trump-era restrictions on immigration.
Immigrants – particularly those from African nations – are a growing share of the U.S. Black population.
The unauthorized immigrant population’s size and composition has ebbed and flowed significantly over the past 30 years.
91% of Democrats favor granting legal status to immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally as children; 54% of Republicans say the same.
54% of Hispanics in the U.S. say establishing a way for most unauthorized immigrants to stay in the country legally is very important.
Notifications