With so much debate going on in the public and political arenas about Trump’s proposed travel bans and border walls, I got curious as to where we actually stood in the US in terms of legal and illegal immigration and our intake of refugees. I recently sat down to see what I could dig up for US immigration statistics. Here are the more interesting stats I was able to find.
As always, I will be adding to and updating this list as close to monthly as possible or as I come across new stats. Be sure to check back often for the latest numbers.
See also: Sanctuary City Facts and Statistics
US Immigration Statistics and Facts
Number of immigrants living in the US in 2017:
Percentage of the US population that immigrants make up:
Last updated 2017
Number of immigrants living in the US in 1960:
9.7 million
Percentage of the US population that immigrants made up in 1960:
5.4%
Decrease in US boarder removals by ICE from 2016-2017:
Percentage of US deportations by ICE in FY 2016 that involved people at or near the border:
Number US office of Field Operations Immigrant Inadmissibility Determination in FY 2016:
Number of US Border Patrol Apprehensions in FY 2016:
Number of ICE Arrests in FY 2017:
Number of ICE Arrests in FY 2016:
Number of US Department of Homeland Security Deportations in FY 2016:
Total number of legal immigrants to the US in FY 2017:
Total number of legal immigrants to the US in FY 2016:
Total number of legal immigrants to the US in FY 2015:
Total number of legal immigrants to the US in FY 2014:
Total number of legal immigrants to the US in FY 2013:
Most popular country of origin for legal US immigrants each year FY 2015-2017:
Second most popular country of origin for legal US immigrants each year FY 2015-2017:
Third most popular country of origin for legal US immigrants in FY 2016 and FY 2017:
Third most popular country of origin for legal US immigrants in FY 2015:
Number of US adoptions of immigrant orphans in FY 2015:
Most popular country of origin for US adoptions of immigrant orphans in FY 2015:
Number of refugee arrivals to the US in FY 2015:
Number of refugee arrivals to the US in FY 2014:
Number of refugee arrivals to the US in FY 2013:
Number of refugee arrivals to the US in FY 2012:
Number of refugee arrivals to the US in FY 2011:
Number of refugee arrivals to the US in FY 2010:
Year with highest number of refugee arrivals to the US since 1980:
Most popular country of origin for refugees to the US in FY 2015:
Number of persons naturalized as US citizens in FY 2015:
Number US citizen naturalization petitions denied in 2015:
Year with highest number of US citizen naturalizations since 1907:
Year with highest number of US citizen naturalization petitions denied since 1907:
Estimated number of unauthorized immigrants living in the US:
Last updated 6/3/19
Estimated number of unauthorized immigrants living in the US in 2014:
Estimated number of unauthorized immigrants living in the US in 1990:
Year with estimated peak number of unauthorized immigrants living in the US:
Number of unauthorized immigrants from Mexico in 2017:
Peak year for unauthorized immigrants from Mexico:
Estimated number of unauthorized immigrants in the US that live with their US-born children:
Last updated 2012
Estimated number of unauthorized immigrants that were given temporary protection from deportation under various recent Federal actions:
Last updated 9/21/16
ICE Quick Facts:
- ICE website: www.ice.gov
- Full agency name: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Year ICE was established: 2003
- Number of ICE employees: 20,000
- Number of ICE offices: 400
- ICE parent agency: US Department of Homeland Security