Immigrants make up nearly one-fourth of the nation’s population. They bring a tremendous economic contribution, a great wealth of culture and experience to their communities and are a vital part of the American family. But immigration is complicated and the facts are often disputed. This article is designed to set out some of the basics, in plain language.
There are a lot of different ways people become immigrants, both legally and illegally. People may move to another country for the purpose of permanently residing in that nation, either as a naturalized citizen, refugee or asylee or with a “green card” (lawful permanent resident status), or they may be doing so temporarily with visas such as international students, temporary workers or tourists.
As of 2023, there were 24.2 million legal immigrants living in the United States, up by a third since 2000. Of these, more than half – 17.4 million – had received green cards. There were another 10.9 million undocumented immigrants, many of whom had recently arrived or been here for years. In addition, there were 521,000 individuals granted parole or asylum due to armed conflict, disaster and other emergencies and 562,000 people protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program who have not been deported or terminated.
In terms of ancestry, most migrants are from Latin America with Mexico leading the way at 23 percent. Other major countries of origin include India, China and Venezuela. However, a shift has taken place since the Great Recession, with more migrants coming from Asia than from Latin America.
Generally speaking, people who are not refugees or asylees are migrants, while refugees must meet a strict definition to be admitted into the United States. A person must be outside of his or her country of nationality and have a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, political opinion or other factors. The refugee population is subject to ceilings by geographic area established annually by Congress in consultation with the president.
There are a wide range of opinions about the issue of immigration and who should be allowed to enter the country. Some argue that the economy and society benefit from immigration and others believe we should be more selective. Regardless of whether we support or oppose the current administration’s policies, it is important to understand the realities of who is in the country and where they are from. This can help inform our understanding of the issue and allow us to build a more informed debate about it. This is the first of a series of articles about immigrants. If you have suggestions for future topics, please let us know.