Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
Immigration in the United States - statistics & facts
The United States has a long history with immigration, or the act of non-native people moving to a foreign country intending to live there, with the vast majority of the American population coming from some form of immigrant background apart from American Indian or Alaska Natives. The economic strength of the United States, alongside the mammoth degree of soft power possessed by the country, means that demand for so-called ‘green cards’, or permanent residence visas, is high. Since 2007, the United States has approved around one million green cards per year, although this number fell slightly in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The greatest number of permanent residency approvals in 2023 were for persons residing in the state of California.
Motives for immigration may differ, yet most are divided into two main categories: push factors that drive people away from their home country, including persecution, poverty, and oppression, and pull factors that draw people towards their target country, such as family reunification and education or employment opportunities. Despite the United States’ past reputation as a destination for those seeking freedom from their own circumstances, however, immigration has become one of the most contested issues in American politics; although 64 percent of Americans felt that immigration was a good thing as of 2024, this public perception has been in decline over the last few years. Similarly, a study conducted in that same year found over half of Americans to think that the level of immigration to the U.S. should be decreased in the future.
In particular, the number of undocumented immigrants living in the country has become a deeply politically divisive problem, with almost all surveyed Democrats agreeing that President Donald Trump’s approach to immigration policy – including increasing efforts to deport illegal immigrants - was much too harsh compared to only eight percent of Republicans. As a result, debates remain over allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the country, although most Americans agreed that there should be a way for undocumented individuals to stay in the United States legally as long as certain conditions are met according to a survey conducted in 2024.
Another problematic argument in American politics surrounds the amount of security implemented at U.S. borders, as conservatives tend to emphasize strict border enforcement as a defense against uncontrolled migration. Although the amount of illegal immigrants apprehended fell during the pandemic year of 2020, border apprehensions in 2021 and 2022 hit all-time highs in the United States, with around 2.58 million illegal aliens apprehended by U.S. officials in 2022. Due to the economic disparities as well as their shared border with the U.S., Mexico accounts for the highest amount of illegal immigration into the United States.
Illegal immigration is not the only immigration source to have been brought into the political discourse in recent years. The refugee policies of the United States have also been questioned by both members of the public and political leaders. Despite the intense degree of vetting required to successfully obtain refugee status in the U.S., there is still a large amount of refugees, people who have been forced to leave their country due to dangerous circumstances, entering the United States on a regular basis. During the fiscal year of 2024, there were over 4,500 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo alone.
The acceptance of refugees has been a tense topic in the U.S. for as long as it's been an issue. However, recent conflicts in Europe have presented a potential change in the hearts of Americans. According to a survey conducted in 2022, the majority of Americans were found to believe that Ukrainian refugees should be accepted in the U.S. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, the U.S. has welcomed over 2,000 Ukrainian refugees and committed itself to welcoming even more, which may further represent a change in past opinion and a new hope for those fleeing violence. However, around one third of Americans were still in opposition of 'admitting thousands of Ukrainian refugees', making it uncertain whether support for refugees will continue in the future.
Immigration and politics
Motives for immigration may differ, yet most are divided into two main categories: push factors that drive people away from their home country, including persecution, poverty, and oppression, and pull factors that draw people towards their target country, such as family reunification and education or employment opportunities. Despite the United States’ past reputation as a destination for those seeking freedom from their own circumstances, however, immigration has become one of the most contested issues in American politics; although 64 percent of Americans felt that immigration was a good thing as of 2024, this public perception has been in decline over the last few years. Similarly, a study conducted in that same year found over half of Americans to think that the level of immigration to the U.S. should be decreased in the future.
In particular, the number of undocumented immigrants living in the country has become a deeply politically divisive problem, with almost all surveyed Democrats agreeing that President Donald Trump’s approach to immigration policy – including increasing efforts to deport illegal immigrants - was much too harsh compared to only eight percent of Republicans. As a result, debates remain over allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the country, although most Americans agreed that there should be a way for undocumented individuals to stay in the United States legally as long as certain conditions are met according to a survey conducted in 2024.
Another problematic argument in American politics surrounds the amount of security implemented at U.S. borders, as conservatives tend to emphasize strict border enforcement as a defense against uncontrolled migration. Although the amount of illegal immigrants apprehended fell during the pandemic year of 2020, border apprehensions in 2021 and 2022 hit all-time highs in the United States, with around 2.58 million illegal aliens apprehended by U.S. officials in 2022. Due to the economic disparities as well as their shared border with the U.S., Mexico accounts for the highest amount of illegal immigration into the United States.
Refugees in the United States
Illegal immigration is not the only immigration source to have been brought into the political discourse in recent years. The refugee policies of the United States have also been questioned by both members of the public and political leaders. Despite the intense degree of vetting required to successfully obtain refugee status in the U.S., there is still a large amount of refugees, people who have been forced to leave their country due to dangerous circumstances, entering the United States on a regular basis. During the fiscal year of 2024, there were over 4,500 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo alone.
The acceptance of refugees has been a tense topic in the U.S. for as long as it's been an issue. However, recent conflicts in Europe have presented a potential change in the hearts of Americans. According to a survey conducted in 2022, the majority of Americans were found to believe that Ukrainian refugees should be accepted in the U.S. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, the U.S. has welcomed over 2,000 Ukrainian refugees and committed itself to welcoming even more, which may further represent a change in past opinion and a new hope for those fleeing violence. However, around one third of Americans were still in opposition of 'admitting thousands of Ukrainian refugees', making it uncertain whether support for refugees will continue in the future.
