Unauthorized Immigrant Population in the US Remains at 11.3 Million in 2022

Strategic Insights -

The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) released estimates of the size of the unauthorized immigrant population in the US, finding that the number remains at 11.3 million in mid-2022, up from 11.2 million in 2021 and 11.0 million in 2019. According to the MPI, the unauthorized population is shaped not just by entries, but also by exits, including deportations, voluntary departures, deaths, and the granting of green cards. The estimates are based on a residual method that subtracts estimates of the legally resident foreign born from the total immigrant population recorded in the ACS.

Key Takeaways:

  • The unauthorized immigrant population in the US was estimated to be 11.3 million in mid-2022, up from 11.2 million in 2021 and 11.0 million in 2019.
  • The population is shaped by both entries and exits, including deportations, voluntary departures, deaths, and the granting of green cards.
  • The increase in unauthorized immigrants between 2021 and 2022 was driven by migration from countries such as Venezuela, Colombia, Nicaragua, and Haiti, as well as countries in Europe and Africa.
  • The Mexican unauthorized population, which stood at 5.1 million in mid-2022, has fallen 34 percent from its 7.7 million peak in 2007.
  • The MPI estimates reflect the growing diversification of the US unauthorized population, due to the decline in the size of the Mexican population and the widening array of nationalities arriving at the US-Mexico border.

Statistics:

  • 11.3 million: Estimated size of the unauthorized immigrant population in the US in mid-2022.
  • 11.2 million: Estimated size of the unauthorized immigrant population in the US in mid-2021.
  • 11.0 million: Estimated size of the unauthorized immigrant population in the US in mid-2019.
  • 5.1 million: Estimated size of the Mexican unauthorized population in mid-2022.
  • 7.7 million: Peak size of the Mexican unauthorized population in 2007.
  • 34%: Decline in the Mexican unauthorized population since its peak in 2007.

Sources:

  • Migration Policy Institute (MPI). (2022). Unauthorized Population Dynamics in the United States.
  • G. Ruiz Soto, A., Gelatt, J., & Van Hook, J. (2022). Unauthorized Immigration to the United States. Migration Policy Institute.
  • American Community Survey (ACS), 2022.