For decades, the United States has stood as a beacon for immigrants worldwide, its population growing and changing shape through waves of arrivals from every corner of the globe. But in a striking turn, the first half of 2025 has seen the immigrant population in the U.S. decline for the first time since the 1960s, according to new analyses from the Pew Research Center. This reversal comes on the heels of record highs in both the total number of immigrants and the number of people living in the country without legal status, underscoring how policy shifts and global events have reshaped the nation’s demographic landscape.
Back in January 2025, the United States boasted 53.3 million immigrants—more than at any other point in its history. That figure represented 15.8% of the U.S. population, a new record. But by June, the number of foreign-born residents had dropped by more than a million, down to 51.9 million, or 15.4% of the population. This marked the first time in over half a century that the immigrant population decreased, a change attributed to a combination of increased deportations, more voluntary departures, and a sharp falloff in new arrivals.
What’s behind this sudden shift? Policy changes at the highest levels have played a pivotal role. In June 2024, President Joe Biden announced sweeping new restrictions on asylum applications, leading to a dramatic reduction in border encounters with would-be asylum seekers. The effects of these restrictions were immediate and significant, with fewer people attempting to cross the border and seek protection in the U.S. Then, when Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, the pace of change accelerated. In his first 100 days, President Trump issued 181 executive actions targeting immigration, aiming to curtail new arrivals and speed up deportations of noncitizen immigrants. According to Pew’s analysis, these policies have already contributed to a shrinking immigrant population—especially among those without legal status.
But even as the total immigrant population fell in early 2025, the previous year had seen an unprecedented surge. As reported by the Associated Press, Pew’s research showed that the number of people living in the U.S. without legal status soared to a record 14 million in 2023, up from 11.8 million just a year earlier. This sharp increase was driven by about 6 million individuals who were in the country with some form of temporary legal protection under Biden-era policies. These protections included asylum applicants, recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, among others.
To put these numbers in perspective, Pew’s estimates far outstrip official government figures. The Department of Homeland Security’s own Office of Homeland Security Statistics put the number of unauthorized immigrants at 11 million in 2022, while the Center for Migration Studies pegged it at 12.2 million that same year. Yet, Pew’s 2023 figure of 14 million unauthorized immigrants—of whom about 6 million had some form of temporary protection—underscores the scale and complexity of the issue.
Within this group of 6 million with protections, the breakdown is telling. There were 2.6 million asylum applicants, 700,000 individuals who had entered legally after receiving parole, 700,000 victims of crime and violence, 650,000 with TPS, and 600,000 DACA recipients. Another 1 million migrants had been encountered by U.S. Border Patrol and released into the country, typically with an order to appear in immigration court. These immigrants have only limited, temporary protections from deportation while their cases are pending.
However, these temporary protections are just that—temporary. The Trump administration has already moved to rescind deportation protections and work permits for about 500,000 immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who had entered legally. As a result, a growing number of immigrants have lost their protections, and some have chosen to leave the country voluntarily, contributing to the recent decline in the overall immigrant population.
Where are America’s immigrants coming from? As of mid-2023, more than 11 million U.S. residents were born in Mexico, making up 22% of all immigrants nationally. India was the second-largest source, with 3.2 million, followed by China, the Philippines, and Cuba. Yet, the composition of new arrivals has shifted significantly in recent years. According to Pew, nearly all the increase in unauthorized immigrants came from countries other than Mexico. Guatemala, El Salvador, and India accounted for the largest numbers after Mexico, while totals from Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Ukraine, and Peru each more than doubled in just two years.
Interestingly, while Mexicans remain the largest group among unauthorized immigrants—at 4.3 million in 2023—their share of the overall immigrant population has been declining. Back in 2010, Mexican-born immigrants made up 29% of all U.S. immigrants; by 2023, that share had dropped to 22%. At the same time, immigrants from South America and Europe have been making up a growing proportion of new arrivals, while those from Asia and sub-Saharan Africa have declined as a share of the total.
Geographically, immigrants are not spread evenly across the country. California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois had the largest numbers of people living in the country without legal status in 2023. California alone was home to 11.3 million immigrants, or nearly 28.4% of the national total. Texas followed with over 6 million, then Florida with 5.4 million, and New York with 5 million. Most immigrants lived in just twelve metropolitan areas, with New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami topping the list.
Immigrants play a significant role in the U.S. workforce. In 2023, Pew estimated that a record 9.7 million people without legal status were in the workforce, making up about 5.6% of all U.S. workers. Overall, immigrants accounted for 19% of the labor force in early 2025, down from 20% in January of that year. This decline reflects not only policy changes but also the broader demographic shifts underway.
Education and language proficiency among immigrants vary widely. In 2023, 24% of immigrant adults aged 25 and older had not completed high school, compared to just 7% of the U.S.-born population. Yet, immigrants were just as likely as the U.S.-born to have a bachelor’s degree or higher—36% in both groups. English proficiency also depends on country of origin, with immigrants from North America, Oceania, and Europe far more likely to speak English well than those from Central America or more recent arrivals.
As the nation grapples with these demographic changes, the debate over immigration policy remains as contentious as ever. Some, like Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have touted the recent drop in unauthorized immigrants as a major achievement, noting, “This is massive.” Others argue that the numbers are still too high and call for even stricter enforcement. Meanwhile, immigrant communities and their advocates worry about the uncertainty facing millions whose status could change with the stroke of a pen.
For now, the data paints a picture of a nation in flux—one where the tides of migration are shaped by politics, policy, and the enduring pull of opportunity. Whether this recent decline marks a new era or a temporary pause remains to be seen, but the story of immigration in America is far from over.
