Unauthorized Immigrant Population in the US Reaches New High: 14 Million

Strategic Insights -

The number of unauthorized immigrants living in the United States grew from 10.5 million to 14 million between 2021 and 2023, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center. This represents the largest two-year increase in over 30 years of estimates. The 14 million figure is also a new high, with preliminary data suggesting the population likely continued to grow and peaked in 2024.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Pew Research Center estimates that there are 14 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States, a 33% increase from 2021.
  • The unauthorized immigrant population makes up about 4% of the U.S. population.
  • Many unauthorized immigrants enter the country through different means, including entering illegally, overstaying visas, or being granted temporary protection from deportation.
  • In 2023, about 2 million of the 14 million unauthorized immigrants had been admitted into the U.S. with precarious statuses.
  • The Trump administration revoked the protections of many unauthorized immigrants in 2025, including over 500,000 individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
  • In 2023, more than 40% of unauthorized immigrants had some protection from deportation, up significantly from 2007 and 2021.
  • The Pew Research Center's methodology for estimating the size of the unauthorized immigrant population involves using Census Bureau surveys to estimate the total number of immigrants (legal and unauthorized) living in the country and subtracting the number of legal immigrants.
  • The American Community Survey (ACS) provides the data used to estimate the total number of immigrants living in the U.S., but the Census Bureau changed its method for estimating net international immigration in 2024, which resulted in an additional 2 million immigrants being included in the estimate.

Statistics:

\* The number of unauthorized immigrants living in the United States grew by 3.5 million between 2021 and 2023, from 10.5 million to 14 million.

\* In 2023, about 2 million of the 14 million unauthorized immigrants had been admitted into the U.S. with precarious statuses.

\* More than 40% of unauthorized immigrants, or about 6 million, had some protection from deportation in 2023.

\* The majority of unauthorized immigrants enter the U.S. without authorization, but the share who had overstayed visas grew in the 2010s.

Sources:

  • Pew Research Center, "The unauthorized immigrant population in the US now estimated to be at a record 14 million"
  • US Census Bureau, "American Community Survey (ACS)"
  • US Department of Homeland Security, "Annual totals of people admitted to the U.S. as legal permanent residents, refugees, or people granted asylum"