ByMary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes Staff.
The population of unauthorized immigrants in the United States hit a record high of in 2023 after two years of unprecedented growth, new Pew Research Center data showed Thursday, with immigrants from Mexico representing their smallest-ever share of the population that year and Florida gaining more unauthorized immigrants than any other state.
The Pew data showed that the population of unauthorized immigrants—which includes people who overstayed their legal status or violated the terms of their residency—hit a record 14 million in 2023 and likely continued to grow in 2024, though only incomplete data is available for that year.
Pew estimates growth slowed considerably in the last half of 2024 after the Biden administration stopped or paused several immigration programs—like accepting asylum applications at the border—and that the population has likely started to decline in 2025 due to changes made under President Donald Trump.
