From representing over one in seven people to powering nearly a third of our doctors, the story of immigration in America today is woven into the very fabric of our nation, as revealed by a complex tapestry of statistics that detail everything from population origins to economic impact.
Key Takeaways
- As of 2022, the U.S. foreign-born population numbered 46.1 million people, accounting for 13.9% of the total U.S. population, up from 31.1 million (10.1%) in 2000.
- In 2022, Mexico remained the top origin country for U.S. immigrants with 10.6 million foreign-born individuals, followed by India (2.8 million) and China (2.5 million).
- Among U.S. immigrants in 2022, 45% were naturalized citizens, 27% were lawful permanent residents, 23% were unauthorized, and 4% held temporary visas.
- In fiscal year 2023, USCIS approved 1,085,011 petitions for immigrant visas, including family-sponsored and employment-based categories.
- In FY 2022, 590,000 lawful permanent residents were admitted to the U.S., with 42% family-sponsored immediate relatives.
- Employment-based green cards totaled 165,000 in FY 2022, including 107,000 for spouses and children of principal beneficiaries.
- The unauthorized immigrant population was estimated at 11.0 million in 2022, down from 12.2 million in 2007.
- In 2022, 4.0 million unauthorized immigrants lived in California, the highest of any state.
- Mexico accounted for 46% of the U.S. unauthorized immigrant population in 2022, totaling 5.1 million.
- In FY 2023, U.S. Border Patrol apprehended 2.06 million migrants at the southwest border.
- Nationwide ICE removals totaled 142,580 in FY 2023, with 67% criminal convictions or charges.
- CBP encountered 2.48 million migrants at the southwest border in FY 2023.
- Immigrants paid $524.1 billion in taxes in 2022, including $263.3 billion federal and $260.8 billion state/local.
- Undocumented immigrants contributed $96.7 billion in taxes in 2022, with $59.4 billion state/local.
- In 2019, immigrants founded 55% of U.S. billion-dollar startups.
The U.S. immigrant population continues to grow, becoming increasingly diverse in origin and legal status.
Economic and Fiscal Impacts
1Immigrants paid $524.1 billion in taxes in 2022, including $263.3 billion federal and $260.8 billion state/local.
Verified2Undocumented immigrants contributed $96.7 billion in taxes in 2022, with $59.4 billion state/local.
Verified3In 2019, immigrants founded 55% of U.S. billion-dollar startups.
Verified4Foreign-born workers filled 18.6% of U.S. jobs in 2023, up from 17.1% in 2022.
Directional5Immigrants comprised 28% of physicians and 38% of home health aides in 2022.
Single source6The net fiscal impact of immigrants over 75 years is positive $1 trillion at federal level.
Verified7In 2022, immigrant households used 14% fewer welfare benefits than U.S.-born households.
Verified8Immigrants started 45% of Fortune 500 companies in 2023.
Verified9Foreign-born labor force participation rate was 65.7% in 2023 vs. 61.3% for natives.
Directional10In 2016, immigration increased U.S. GDP per capita by $1,800-$5,000 annually.
Single source11Undocumented immigrants paid $35.1 billion in Social Security taxes in 2022 without benefits.
Verified12Immigrants accounted for 36% of U.S. patents in 2022.
Verified13In 2021, immigrant-owned businesses generated $1.3 trillion in sales.
Verified14Second-generation Americans had median household income $20,000 higher than natives in 2019.
Directional15Immigrants filled 74% of farming jobs and 50% of construction jobs in 2022.
Single source16The average fiscal cost of one immigrant is -$8,776 over lifetime at state/local level.
Verified17In 2022, 26% of entrepreneurs were immigrants.
Verified18Immigrants boosted U.S. GDP by 25% since 1965.
Verified19DACA recipients contributed $41.5 billion to GDP in 2023.
DirectionalEconomic and Fiscal Impacts Interpretation
While the political debate often frames immigration as a cost, the numbers tell a far richer story of a nation being fundamentally built, taxed, cured, and innovated by newcomers who are net fiscal contributors, entrepreneurial engines, and the essential labor in fields from farms to Fortune 500 boardrooms.
Immigrant Population and Demographics
1As of 2022, the U.S. foreign-born population numbered 46.1 million people, accounting for 13.9% of the total U.S. population, up from 31.1 million (10.1%) in 2000.
Verified2In 2022, Mexico remained the top origin country for U.S. immigrants with 10.6 million foreign-born individuals, followed by India (2.8 million) and China (2.5 million).
Verified3Among U.S. immigrants in 2022, 45% were naturalized citizens, 27% were lawful permanent residents, 23% were unauthorized, and 4% held temporary visas.
Verified4The median age of foreign-born individuals in the U.S. was 47 years in 2022, compared to 37 years for U.S.-born individuals.
Directional5In 2022, 77% of U.S. immigrants aged 25 and older had at least a high school diploma, while 34% held a bachelor's degree or higher.
Single source6Asian immigrants made up 28% of the U.S. foreign-born population in 2022, surpassing Hispanic immigrants at 46%.
Verified7In fiscal year 2022, California hosted 10.6 million immigrants, the highest of any state, representing 27% of its population.
Verified8As of 2021, immigrants accounted for 18.8% of the U.S. civilian labor force aged 16 and older.
Verified9In 2019, 44.7% of immigrants were in the U.S. for 15 years or longer, 26.5% for 10-14 years, and 28.8% for less than 10 years.
Directional10The U.S. foreign-born population grew from 14% in 1980 to 15% in 2020, with projections to reach 18% by 2060.
Single source11In 2020, 45 million people in the U.S. were foreign-born, with 50% from Latin America and 29% from Asia.
Verified12Foreign-born Hispanics numbered 22 million in 2020, comprising 49% of the foreign-born population.
Verified13In 2022, 26% of U.S. children under 18 had at least one immigrant parent.
Verified14The foreign-born share of the U.S. population is 14% as of 2022, higher than the 5% in 1965 but below the 14.8% peak in 1890.
Directional15In 2022, 18 million U.S.-born individuals had at least one immigrant parent.
Single source16Immigrants from South Asia increased from 1% of the foreign-born population in 1980 to 13% in 2022.
Verified17In 2021, New York state had 4.5 million immigrants, 23% of its population.
Verified18U.S. immigrant women aged 15-50 had a fertility rate of 2.1 births per woman in 2022, compared to 1.6 for U.S.-born women.
Verified19In 2020, 20.7% of the U.S. population aged 5 and older spoke a language other than English at home.
Directional20Foreign-born Black immigrants numbered 2.2 million in 2022, 5% of the total foreign-born population.
Single sourceImmigrant Population and Demographics Interpretation
America’s story continues to be written with an international pen, as its foreign-born population—now over 46 million and counting—brings seasoned experience, higher educational attainment, and youthful families, all while settling in for the long haul and reshaping the nation’s cultural and economic landscape from the ground up.
Immigration Enforcement and Border Security
1In FY 2023, U.S. Border Patrol apprehended 2.06 million migrants at the southwest border.
Verified2Nationwide ICE removals totaled 142,580 in FY 2023, with 67% criminal convictions or charges.
Verified3CBP encountered 2.48 million migrants at the southwest border in FY 2023.
Verified4In FY 2023, ICE detained 680,000 individuals at 287 facilities.
Directional5Southwest border USBP apprehensions were 1.67 million in FY 2023 between ports of entry.
Single source6FY 2022 saw 2.38 million encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Verified7ICE deported 72,000 individuals to 192 countries in FY 2023.
Verified8In FY 2023, 170,000 unaccompanied children were encountered at the southwest border.
Verified9CBP Office of Field Operations inadmissible encounters totaled 615,000 in FY 2023.
Directional10ICE Alternatives to Detention enrolled 271,000 individuals in FY 2023.
Single source11In FY 2023, 740,000 family unit encounters occurred at the southwest border.
Verified12EOIR immigration courts received 3.7 million pending cases in FY 2023.
Verified13FY 2022 border wall construction added 458 miles of barriers.
Verified14ICE fugitive operations arrested 34,000 individuals in FY 2023.
Directional15In FY 2023, 97% of ICE removals were of individuals with criminal convictions or pending charges.
Single source16CBP seized 27,000 pounds of fentanyl at the southwest border in FY 2023.
Verified17FY 2023 saw 1.35 million Title 8 expulsions under Title 42.
Verified18ICE ERO conducted 423,000 at-large arrests in FY 2023.
Verified19Asylum seekers at credible fear interviews numbered 562,000 in FY 2023.
Directional20In FY 2022, 59,000 individuals were removed via expedited processes.
Single sourceImmigration Enforcement and Border Security Interpretation
Behind the staggering millions of encounters lies an overburdened system where the focus tilts from mass detention to targeted removal, all while the court backlog stretches into a horizon of its own making.
Legal Immigration Statistics
1In fiscal year 2023, USCIS approved 1,085,011 petitions for immigrant visas, including family-sponsored and employment-based categories.
Verified2In FY 2022, 590,000 lawful permanent residents were admitted to the U.S., with 42% family-sponsored immediate relatives.
Verified3Employment-based green cards totaled 165,000 in FY 2022, including 107,000 for spouses and children of principal beneficiaries.
Verified4In FY 2023, 879,177 individuals were granted lawful permanent resident status, a 49% increase from FY 2022.
Directional5Family-sponsored preferences accounted for 226,000 green cards in FY 2022, down from 227,000 in FY 2021.
Single source6In FY 2022, 1.1 million people applied for naturalization, with 969,000 approved.
Verified7Diversity Visa Program issued 54,850 visas in FY 2022 to natives of low-immigration countries.
Verified8In FY 2023, H-1B visas were approved for 386,000 initial and continuing employment.
Verified9Refugee admissions totaled 25,500 in FY 2022, primarily from Democratic Republic of Congo and Syria.
Directional10In FY 2022, 60,000 refugees adjusted to lawful permanent resident status.
Single source11Asylees granted status numbered 35,720 in FY 2022, with 21,000 affirmative and 14,700 defensive.
Verified12In FY 2023, USCIS received 8.8 million Form I-765 applications for work authorization.
Verified13Family-sponsored immediate relatives received 454,000 green cards in FY 2023.
Verified14EB-2 visas for advanced degrees totaled 48,500 in FY 2022.
Directional15In FY 2022, 116,000 green cards went to spouses of U.S. citizens.
Single source16Naturalizations reached 878,500 in FY 2023, highest since 2008.
Verified17In FY 2022, L-1 intracompany transferee visas numbered 84,000 approvals.
Verified18FY 2023 saw 1.04 million I-130 petitions approved for family-based immigration.
Verified19In FY 2022, 11% of green cards were employment-based, compared to 65% family-sponsored.
DirectionalLegal Immigration Statistics Interpretation
Despite our cultural myths of bootstrapping and lone genius, America's front door still swings open widest for family, with employment and humanitarian concerns forming a polite but persistent line behind them.
Unauthorized Immigration
1The unauthorized immigrant population was estimated at 11.0 million in 2022, down from 12.2 million in 2007.
Verified2In 2022, 4.0 million unauthorized immigrants lived in California, the highest of any state.
Verified3Mexico accounted for 46% of the U.S. unauthorized immigrant population in 2022, totaling 5.1 million.
Verified4From 2017 to 2021, the unauthorized population from Central America rose by 1 million to 3 million.
Directional5In 2022, 66% of unauthorized immigrants had lived in the U.S. for 10+ years.
Single source6DHS estimated 11.4 million unauthorized immigrants in 2018, including 1.9 million DACA-eligible.
Verified7Unauthorized immigrants comprised 4.6% of the U.S. workforce in 2022.
Verified8In 2022, 3.5 million unauthorized immigrant adults lived with 2.6 million U.S.-born children.
Verified9Texas hosted 1.6 million unauthorized immigrants in 2022, 14% of its state population.
Directional10From 2007 to 2022, the unauthorized population declined 10%, while total foreign-born grew 20%.
Single source11In 2017, 42% of unauthorized immigrants were homeowners.
Verified12Unauthorized immigrants from Asia numbered 1.7 million in 2022, 16% of the total.
Verified13Florida had 1.2 million unauthorized immigrants in 2022.
Verified1421% of unauthorized immigrants arrived before 2000 as of 2022.
Directional15New York state had 650,000 unauthorized immigrants in 2022.
Single sourceUnauthorized Immigration Interpretation
Behind the divisive politics, the data paints a picture of a deeply rooted population—a community of millions who, over decades, have built homes, raised families, and become an integral yet precarious part of the American fabric, all while the political system remains paralyzed.
Sources & References
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