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Raw data: Illegal immigrant population in border states

It's a continuing curiosity that, generally speaking, it seems like the greatest fear of illegal immigration comes from states that are nowhere near the southern border. It turns out that Pew Research has state-by-state figures, so I went ahead and plotted it:

The four border states are California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Their population share of illegal immigrants is currently 4.8%. For the rest of the country it's 2.7%. In both, the number has been declining for 15 years.

This only goes through 2021, and it will be a while before we see what effect the current border surge has had. But in 2021 the country was 1.7 million below its 2007 peak, so 2022 and 2023 are unlikely to set any kind of record.

4 thoughts on “Raw data: Illegal immigrant population in border states

  1. OldFlyer

    Are you quoting "Facts" , "Stats" or "Science"?? - Silly boy

    iaw the new rules of GOP debating-
    Trump will say what he wants
    His Base will believe everything, and write him a check
    Fox News will confirm it
    and 48 GOP Senators will say- NOTHING
    hell, maybe some from the other side

    When you're backed by the crazies, Wall St, and senators beholding to lobbies
    It's hard to ague

    Sorry Ben, it's been shaky for some time, very shaky since 2016, but I fear this is the decade when we unequivocally show that we in fact can NOT keep the republic.

  2. middleoftheroaddem

    I wonder if the chart is correct or perhaps misleading.

    According to the chart, the illegal population (not my terminology) remains basically unchanged over the last, about, twenty years. Yet, the news has a lot of coverage about NYC, Chicago etc and the challenges in addressing this 'exploding' population. Sure seems like there must be some type of increase, that is not reflected in the chart...

  3. Vog46

    "exploding population"
    I knew it. We gotta close off the border with a wall
    from "sea to sea"
    put an impenetrable barrier between us and those pesky Canadians
    oh, wait.............

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