U.S. immigrant population reaches 51 million with diverse origins and long-term residents

theconversation.com February 4, 2025, 10:00 PM UTC

As of mid-2023, about 51 million foreign-born individuals live in the U.S., with nearly 75% here legally. The number of undocumented immigrants rose by nearly 3 million since 2019, largely due to increased border crossings from Central and South America. Historically, Mexicans made up the largest group of immigrants, but their numbers have declined since the Great Recession. Now, many undocumented immigrants come from various countries, with a significant portion seeking asylum due to violence and economic hardship. Most immigrants have lived in the U.S. for many years, with nearly half residing here for over 20 years. New arrivals are concentrated in five states: California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas, which host over half of the recent immigrants.


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