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7h ago

Pew: Unauthorized Immigrants Hit Record 14 Million in 2023 as U.S. Immigrant Population Starts to Fall

Preliminary estimates tie the recent decline to policy shifts, with measurement limits keeping the picture provisional.

FILE - A family of five claiming to be from Guatemala and a man stating he was from Peru, in pink shirt, walk through the desert after crossing the border wall in the Tucson Sector of the U.S.-Mexico border, Aug. 29, 2023, in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near Lukeville, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
FILE - Migrants wait to climb over concertina wire after they crossed the Rio Grande and entered the U.S. from Mexico, Sept. 23, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
Image
Left: Federal agents patrol the halls of immigration court at the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building on August 14, 2025 in New York City. Center: US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One in the air on August 15, 2025, en route to Anchorage. Right: A protestor at a political rally holds a sign that reads "no hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here".

Overview

  • The undocumented population climbed by about 3.5 million from 2021 to reach 14 million in 2023, according to Pew’s new analysis.
  • Roughly 6 million of those counted in 2023 had temporary protections from deportation, a group whose status can be changed by policy.
  • The overall foreign-born population peaked at about 53.3 million in January 2025 and fell to roughly 51.9 million by June, marking the first decline in decades.
  • Nearly all growth since 2021 came from countries other than Mexico, with non‑Mexican totals rising from 6.4 million to 9.7 million as Mexico’s share fell to about 30%.
  • Pew links a 2024 slowdown and a 2025 pullback to asylum limits and intensified enforcement, while noting preliminary data and disputed claims such as DHS‑promoted figures of 1.6 million departures.