The surge in immigration into the United States has outpaced federal projections by decades, as revealed in a recent report from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), published on Thursday. According to CIS, the total number of immigrants in the U.S. reached a historic high of 51.4 million by February 2024, constituting 15.5% of the overall population. This figure exceeds the U.S. Census Bureau’s projections, which anticipated that the share of foreign-born nationals would not reach 15.5% until at least 2039, rendering the projections obsolete, as noted by CIS authors Steven Camarota and Karen Zeigler.
The 15.5% encompasses both legal immigrants and those who are undocumented or residing in the country illegally, as outlined in a CIS analysis of the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS). Approximately 25% of the 51.4 million foreign nationals in the U.S. are estimated to be illegal migrants, with the remaining 75% legally present in the country.
Under the Biden administration alone, the number of immigrants residing in the U.S. surged by 6.4 million, with over half of this increase attributed to illegal immigrants. This figure surpasses the population size of 33 individual states, underscoring the magnitude of the immigration influx experienced during the current administration.
The unprecedented scale of immigration witnessed in recent years has far-reaching implications for various facets of American society, including its economic landscape, public services, educational institutions, healthcare systems, and political dynamics, as highlighted by Camarota and Zeigler in the CIS study. The ability to assimilate such a significant influx of individuals poses significant challenges for the nation.
Border apprehensions further illustrate the intensification of immigration, with roughly 2 million migrant encounters recorded at the southern border in fiscal year 2023, a notable increase from approximately 1.7 million encounters in fiscal year 2021. This surge in migrant apprehensions under the Biden administration contrasts starkly with previous years, wherein apprehensions remained below 1 million during the Trump administration.
Should current immigration trends persist, CIS projects that the total foreign-born share of the U.S. population could reach approximately 60 million by the conclusion of a potential second term for President Biden in 2028. The current level of immigration surpasses any previous point in American history, signaling a critical juncture with significant implications for the nation’s future trajectory.