Fact check: How many Legal immigrants in america?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the most recent data available, the foreign-born population in the United States reached 53.3 million as of January 2025, representing 15.8% of the total U.S. population - both record highs in American history ^[1]. To answer the specific question about legal immigrants, we can calculate that approximately 37.9 million immigrants are legally present in the United States, derived from the total foreign-born population minus the estimated 15.4 million illegal immigrants ^[1].

Earlier 2023 data showed a slightly lower total of 47.8 million immigrants, with nearly three-quarters being legally present ^{[2] [3]}. The dramatic increase represents the largest four-year growth in U.S. history, with 8.3 million new foreign-born residents added between January 2021 and January 2025 ^[1].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks important contextual information about the rapidly changing nature of immigration statistics. The data reveals that immigration patterns have shifted significantly under different administrations, with the Biden administration seeing dramatically greater growth in foreign-born population than prior administrations ^[1].

Public opinion context is notably absent from the simple numerical question. Recent polling shows that 79% of U.S. adults now view immigration as beneficial for the country - a record high - while only 30% want immigration decreased, down from 55% a year ago ^[4]. Additionally, 78% of Americans support allowing undocumented immigrants to become U.S. citizens ^[4].

The question also omits the economic and social contributions that immigrants make to American society, which advocacy organizations like the American Immigration Council emphasize as crucial context ^[3]. Furthermore, recent enforcement data shows that border crossings have plummeted and ICE arrests have doubled under current policies, though deportation numbers remain less transparent ^[5].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself appears neutral and factual, simply requesting statistical information. However, the framing could potentially be used to support different political narratives depending on how the answer is presented or contextualized.

Organizations with different agendas would benefit from emphasizing different aspects of these numbers:

• Immigration restrictionist groups like the Center for Immigration Studies would benefit from highlighting the record-high numbers and rapid growth rates ^[1]
• Pro-immigration advocacy groups like the American Immigration Council would benefit from emphasizing the positive economic contributions and public support for immigration ^{[3] [4]}
• Political administrations might selectively use either the enforcement success data or the growth statistics depending on their policy positions ^[5]

The lack of historical context in the question could lead to misinterpretation of whether current numbers represent a crisis or normal demographic evolution, making the data susceptible to political manipulation by various stakeholders.