The United States’ history of immigration dates back to the 15th century when Europeans first came to North America and colonized Native American land. Today, the United States has more immigrants than any other country in the world, according to the Pew Research Center.[1]
Approximately 40 million people presently residing in the U.S. were born in another country. This figure represents a slight decline from a peak number in 2017 when the U.S. had 44.4 million immigrant residents.
Keep reading to learn a few more interesting facts about immigration in 2019 that you may not know.
- The vast majority of immigrants are in the U.S. legally. The Pew Center reports that 77 percent of immigrants are in the country lawfully. About 45 percent of these legal residents are naturalized citizens; 27 percent are lawful permanent residents and 5 percent are temporary legal residents. About 23 percent of immigrants are in the country unlawfully.
- Most unauthorized immigrants entered the U.S. legally. Two-thirds of recent illegal immigrants entered the country with a valid visa but didn’t leave after the permit expired. Only one-third of unlawful immigrants entered the country by crossing the southern border, as the Migration Policy Institute reports.[1] A wall along the southern border, therefore, would not prevent the majority of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S.
- Asian immigrants are entering the U.S. in the highest numbers. Since 2010, more Asians immigrants have entered the U.S. than Hispanics or any other group. In 2017, the most recent data available, most immigrants arrived from India (126,000 people), followed by Mexico (124,000), China (121,000), and Cuba (41,000). Pew Center projections indicate that the Asian population will be the largest immigrant group by 2055 and that by 2065, Asians will make up 38 percent of the U.S. population, but no ethnic/racial group will have the majority.
- Immigrants will fuel the majority of the U.S.’s population growth in the future. In 2017, immigrant women gave birth to 7.5 percent more children than U.S.-born women. Pew Center projections also show that, if current trends continue, immigrants and their descendants will account for 88 percent of the U.S.’s population growth by 2065.
If you or a loved one are looking to immigrate to the U.S. or need a petition or a visa to stay in the U.S., please call our Raleigh Immigration attorneys today for an assessment of your options.
[1] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-border-wall-only-stop-one-third-of-illegal-immigration-migrants-fact-check-claim-review/
[1] https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/17/key-findings-about-u-s-immigrants/
