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2h ago

U.S. Immigrant Population Drops for First Time Since the 1960s, Pew Finds

Pew cites tougher policies as a driver, with the estimates still preliminary.

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

  • In Pew’s latest analysis, the foreign-born population fell from 53.3 million in January 2025 to 51.9 million in June, the first decline in more than half a century.
  • The undocumented population reached a record 14 million in 2023, with more than 40% holding temporary protections such as asylum applications, CBP releases or parole.
  • Pew links the 2025 downturn to policy shifts that began with Biden’s late‑2024 asylum restrictions and continued with President Trump’s stepped‑up interior enforcement and removals.
  • Pew warns the short‑term drop may be overstated due to survey nonresponse, while other claims vary, including a DHS announcement highlighting outside estimates of 1.6 million departures since January.
  • The labor force reflected the change, with more than 750,000 fewer immigrant workers by June 2025, after unauthorized workers reached a record 9.7 million in 2023.