Mexico remains the top source of U.S. immigrants, while recent trends show more arrivals from South America and Europe, and fewer from Asia and Africa.
For more than half a century, the United States has been a magnet for immigrants, steadily growing into the nation with the largest foreign-born population in the world. But new data shows that a historic turning point has arrived: for the first time since the 1960s, the U.S. immigrant population is in decline.
According to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, the number of immigrants living in the country fell from a record 53.3 million in January 2025 to 51.9 million by June—a loss of over one million people in just six months. This sharp contraction lowered the share of immigrants in the U.S. population from 15.8% to 15.4%. The decline also translated into the workforce, where immigrants made up 19% of all workers, down from 20% earlier in the year.
Policy Shifts Reshaping Immigration
Behind these numbers lies a turbulent policy environment. In June 2024, President Joe Biden implemented new restrictions on asylum applications, causing border encounters with asylum seekers to plummet. Then, after returning to the White House in January 2025, President Donald Trump issued 181 executive actions in his first 100 days, many of them aimed at curbing immigration and deporting noncitizens.
While the full consequences of these actions remain to be seen, their immediate impact has been unmistakable. Deportations have increased, asylum protections have narrowed, and fewer new immigrants are entering the country. The unauthorized immigrant population, which reached a record 14 million in 2023, is already shrinking because of policy and enforcement changes.
Where Immigrants Come From
The United States remains home to a highly diverse immigrant population. As of mid-2023, more than 11 million immigrants were born in Mexico, making up 22% of all immigrants. Other top origins include India (3.2 million), China (3 million), the Philippines (2.1 million), and Cuba (1.7 million).
Latin America accounts for over half of the foreign-born population, followed by Asia with about 27% (nearly 14 million). Smaller but notable communities come from Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East-North Africa region.
Recent trends show shifts in origin: between 2021 and 2023, South America and Europe saw growing shares of new arrivals, while Asia and sub-Saharan Africa declined. Mexico, India, Venezuela, Cuba, and Colombia led the list of recent source countries, reflecting both economic opportunities and humanitarian pressures.
Legal Status and the Unauthorized Population
Immigrants in the U.S. fall into several categories. As of 2023, nearly half (46%) were naturalized U.S. citizens, 23% were lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and 4% were lawful temporary residents, typically in the U.S. for work or study. The remaining 27% were unauthorized immigrants, making up the most vulnerable group.
Unauthorized immigrants often live under uncertain protections. In 2023, this population included 2.6 million asylum applicants, 650,000 with Temporary Protected Status, and 600,000 enrolled in DACA. But these protections can be temporary. Recent policy shifts have already stripped work permits and protections from hundreds of thousands of immigrants from countries like Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
Economic and Social Contributions
Even as immigration contracts, the contributions of immigrants to American society remain vast. In 2023, about 33 million immigrants were part of the U.S. workforce. Nearly one in five workers were foreign-born, an increase from just 12% in 1995. Immigrants also serve in the U.S. military, with about 2% of adult immigrants currently or previously enlisted.
The geographic distribution of immigrants reflects their impact: California, Texas, Florida, and New York alone account for nearly half of the country’s foreign-born residents. Major metropolitan areas like New York, Los Angeles, and Miami serve as cultural and economic hubs where immigrant communities are especially visible.
Educational attainment among immigrants remains mixed. While a quarter of immigrant adults have not completed high school, the share with bachelor’s degrees or higher matches that of the U.S.-born population at 36%. Region of origin matters: Asian and European immigrants are often more highly educated, while Central American immigrants tend to have lower levels of formal schooling.
English proficiency also varies widely. Overall, about half of immigrants are proficient in English, but the rate is much higher among those from Africa, Europe, or Asia, and far lower among Central Americans.
*Pew Research Center
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