Mexicans decline to less than half the U.S. unauthorized immigrant population for the first time
The number of Mexican unauthorized immigrants has fallen since its peak of 6.9 million in 2007 and was lower in 2017 than in any year since 2001.
Jeffrey S. Passel
Publications
U.S. unauthorized immigrants are more proficient in English, more educated than a decade ago
In 2016, a third of unauthorized immigrant adults were proficient in English – up from a quarter in 2007.
20 metro areas are home to six-in-ten unauthorized immigrants in U.S.
In 2016, the 20 U.S. metro areas with the most unauthorized immigrants were home to 6.5 million of them, or 61% of the estimated total.
Explore unauthorized immigration by state using our new interactive
Unauthorized immigrants make up a quarter of all U.S. foreign-born residents. Our new interactive offers data on unauthorized immigrants by state.
U.S. Unauthorized Immigrant Total Dips to Lowest Level in a Decade
There were 10.7 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. in 2016, down from 12.2 million in 2007. The total is the lowest since 2004 and is tied to a decline in the number of Mexican unauthorized immigrants.
Number of U.S.-born babies with unauthorized immigrant parents has fallen since 2007
About 250,000 babies were born to unauthorized immigrant parents in the United States in 2016, the latest year for which information is available, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of government data about illegal immigration. This represents a 36% decrease from a peak of about 390,000 in 2007.
A record 64 million Americans live in multigenerational households
The number and share of Americans living in multigenerational family households have continued to rise. In 2016, a record 64 million people, or 20% of the U.S. population, lived with multiple generations under one roof.
Rise in U.S. Immigrants From El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras Outpaces Growth From Elsewhere
The increase from these countries exceeded modest growth of the overall foreign-born population and came amid a decline in immigrants from Mexico.
Higher share of students than tourists, business travelers overstayed deadlines to leave U.S. in 2016
About 629,000 foreign visitors who were expected to leave the U.S. in fiscal 2016 were still in the U.S. when the fiscal year ended Sept. 30.
As Mexican share declined, U.S. unauthorized immigrant population fell in 2015 below recession level
As the Mexican share of the total declined, the unauthorized immigrant population in the U.S. in 2015 was smaller than when the Great Recession ended.
