U.S. Immigration Trends

U.S. Immigration Trends by Presidential Terms (2001-2025)

Net Immigration to the U.S. by President and Immigrant Status (2001 to 2025)

The chart displays net immigration from 2001 through 2025, broken down by: LPR+ (lawful permanent residents and related statuses), INA Nonimmigrant (temporary visa holders), and Other Foreign Nationals (including unauthorized immigrants). Immigration surged during the Biden administration, resulting in an unprecedented foreign-born population increase.

Immigrant Population Size and Share Over Time (1850-2025)

U.S. Immigrant Population and Share of Total Population (1850-2025)

As of January 2025, 53.3 million people in the U.S. were foreign-born, representing 15.8% of the total U.S. population - record historic highs. Post-1980 immigrants account for 46.8 million of this total, with an estimated 15.4 million unauthorized immigrants in 2025.
These numbers mark a dramatic rise compared to any prior decade.

Refugee Admissions Trends (2000-2024)

Fiscal Year	Refugees Admitted
2000	72,464
2010	73,293
2016	84,988
2017	53,691
2018	22,405
2022	25,465
2024 (estimate)	34,000

Refugee admissions dropped significantly in the late 2010s and have risen modestly through 2024, reflecting administrative policy changes.

New York State and City Immigrant Population and Role (2025)

New York remains the state with the largest immigrant population nationwide:

Approximately 4.3 million foreign-born residents in New York State (~22% of the state population, 2025 Census estimates).
37% of New York City's population is foreign-born as of 2025, consistent with longstanding diversity and immigrant-led community growth.
Immigration fuels New York’s economic vitality and cultural diversity, contributing across multiple sectors.
The state maintains substantial immigrant integration services and protections alongside federal immigration policy effects.

Largest Countries of Origin for Immigrants in the U.S. (2025)

Country	Number of Immigrants	% of Total U.S. Immigrant Population
Mexico	10.4 million	19.5%
India	3.6 million	6.8%
China	2.8 million	5.2%
Philippines	2.0 million	3.8%
El Salvador	1.5 million	2.8%
Dominican Republic	1.3 million	2.5%
Vietnam	1.2 million	2.3%
Jamaica	1.0 million	1.9%

New York’s immigrant population strongly reflects these countries, particularly from Latin America and Asia.

Key U.S. Immigration Indicators (2025)

53.3M

Total foreign-born population in U.S. (Jan 2025, CPS adjusted)[1]

15.8%

Foreign-born percent of total U.S. population (Jan 2025)[1]

15.4M

Estimated unauthorized immigrants (Jan 2025 CPS)[1]

8.3M

Increase in foreign-born population since Jan 2021[1]

37%

Foreign-born share of NYC population (2025 estimate)

References and Further Reading

Immigration

Further Analysis of U.S. Immigration Trends and New York Impact (July 2025)

The immigration data through mid-2025 highlights sustained growth in the foreign-born population across the United States, reaching over 53 million individuals or roughly 15.8% of the total population. This growth is driven across legal permanent residents, temporary visa holders, and estimates of unauthorized immigrants. Under the current administration, significant increases in both lawful and unauthorized immigration have reversed prior declines, contributing to sharp upward trends.

New York State and NYC continue to serve as primary immigration gateways, hosting more than 4.3 million foreign-born residents statewide and nearly 37% of NYC’s population. This demographic composition positively influences the city’s labor markets, cultural richness, and economic vitality, while also requiring continued focus on immigrant services, integration support, and policy calibration amid shifting federal directives.

The diversity reflected in the immigrant country-of-origin data underscores New York’s role as a global city attracting migrants from Mexico, India, China, the Philippines, and other nations, fostering a wide array of ethnic communities and economic contributions. This diversity necessitates tailored public services and collaboration between governmental and non-governmental agencies in education, workforce development, housing, and legal assistance.

As immigration patterns evolve, ongoing monitoring of admission trends, visa policy shifts, refugee admissions, and demographic impacts at local levels will be critical. This dashboard provides a foundational evidence base for stakeholders working on immigration policy, urban planning, social services, and public safety in New York as of July 2025.