# What the Data Says About Immigrants in the U.S.  ## Metadata - Author:: [[Mohamad Moslimani]] - Full Title:: What the Data Says About Immigrants in the U.S. - Category: #articles - URL: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/22/key-findings-about-us-immigrants/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=aff9878c97-Weekly_7-27-24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-aff9878c97-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D ## Highlights #### How many people in the U.S. are immigrants? > The U.S. foreign-born population reached a record 46.1 million in 2022. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9v8cqvrabjhwegrxfx3b2zb)) > Immigrants today account for 13.8% of the U.S. population. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9v8cym8e6tnq44f8cvb8f81)) #### Where are U.S. immigrants from? [](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/22/key-findings-about-us-immigrants/sr_24-07-22_immigrant-facts_2/) > By region of birth, immigrants from Asia accounted for 28% of all immigrants. Other regions make up smaller shares: > • Latin America (27%), excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean (10%), Central America (9%) and South America (9%) > • Europe, Canada and other North America (12%) > • Sub-Saharan Africa (5%) > • Middle East and North Africa (4%) ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9v8dpyx8k6qdzdjneb1t5x5)) #### How have immigrants’ origin countries changed in recent decades? >  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9v8dzz0261w8mrd660n862h)) > Since 1965, about 72 million immigrants have come to the United States from different and more countries than their predecessors: > • From 1840 to 1889, about 90% of U.S. immigrants came from Europe, including about 70% from Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom. > • Almost 90% of the immigrants who arrived from 1890 to 1919 came from Europe. Nearly 60% came from Italy, Austria-Hungary and Russia-Poland. > • Since 1965, about half of U.S. immigrants have come from Latin America, with about a quarter from Mexico alone. About another quarter have come from Asia. Large numbers have come from China, India, the Philippines, Central America and the Caribbean. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9v8ffr32fd9dse1rfgxbw5m)) #### Where are recent immigrants coming from? >  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9v8fxedxp26jpghw5aka3wa)) #### What is the legal status of immigrants in the U.S.? >  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9v8h1jty5tmawk0hdd6qegc)) > Most immigrants (77%) are in the country legally. As of 2022: > • 49% were naturalized U.S. citizens. > • 24% were lawful permanent residents. > • 4% were legal temporary residents. > • 23% were [unauthorized immigrants](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/22/what-we-know-about-unauthorized-immigrants-living-in-the-us). ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9v8hcfdxd5nek2zqhcecv6g)) #### Who are unauthorized immigrants? > A growing number of [unauthorized immigrants](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/22/what-we-know-about-unauthorized-immigrants-living-in-the-us) have permission to live and work in the U.S. and are temporarily protected from deportation. In 2022, about 3 million unauthorized immigrants had these temporary legal protections. These immigrants fall into several groups: > • **Temporary Protected Status (TPS):** About 650,000 immigrants have TPS as of July 2022. [TPS is offered to individuals who cannot safely return to their home country](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/03/29/how-temporary-protected-status-has-expanded-under-the-biden-administration/) because of civil unrest, violence, natural disaster or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. > • **Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA):** Almost 600,000 immigrants are beneficiaries of DACA. This program [allows individuals brought to the U.S. as children before 2007 to remain in the U.S.](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/11/20/those-from-mexico-will-benefit-most-from-obamas-executive-action/) > • **Asylum applicants:** About 1.6 million immigrants have pending applications for [asylum in the U.S.](https://ohss.dhs.gov/glossary#A) as of mid-2022 because of dangers faced in their home country. These immigrants can stay in the U.S. legally while they wait for a decision on their case. > • **Other protections:** Several hundred thousand individuals have applied for special visas to become lawful immigrants. These types of visas are offered to victims of trafficking and certain other criminal activities. > In addition, about 500,000 immigrants arrived in the U.S. by the end of 2023 under programs created for Ukrainians (U4U or [Uniting for Ukraine](https://www.state.gov/welcoming-ukrainian-nationals-to-the-united-states/)) and people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela ([CHNV parole](https://www.uscis.gov/CHNV)). These immigrants mainly arrived too late to be counted in the 2022 estimates but may be included in future estimates. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9v8jpf6zd500ay9bk2zk75e)) #### Do all lawful immigrants choose to become U.S. citizens? #### Where do most U.S. immigrants live? > In 2022, most of the nation’s 46.1 million immigrants lived in four states: California (10.4 million or 23% of the national total), Texas (5.2 million or 11%), Florida (4.8 million or 10%) and New York (4.5 million or 10%). > Most immigrants lived in the South (35%) and West (33%). Another 21% lived in the Northeast and 11% were in the Midwest. > In 2022, more than 29 million immigrants – 63% of the nation’s foreign-born population – lived in just 20 major metropolitan areas. The largest populations were in the New York, Los Angeles and Miami metro areas. Most of the nation’s unauthorized immigrant population (60%) lived in these metro areas as well. > [](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/22/key-findings-about-us-immigrants/sr_24-07-22_immigrant-facts_6/) ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9v8nv9c0e3884m5vkwwb3tz)) #### How many immigrants are working in the U.S.? >  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9v8p87vta7x0as6yg8mfve2)) #### How educated are immigrants compared with the U.S. population overall? >  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9v8rk1cvg4hvv0xvvhccgr6)) #### How well do immigrants speak English? >  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9v8sy1b83wtjb3anz87c74k))