Minnesota immigration numbers
Executive summary
Minnesota today is home to roughly 470–475 thousand foreign‑born residents—about 8–8.5% of the state’s population—making immigrants a substantial but not majority share of the state [1] [2]. Estimates of the unauthorized or “undocumented” population are produced separately by research groups using Census surveys and modeling; these methods inform national and state profiles but carry important limitations that shape political debates [3] [4] [5].
1. Minnesota’s immigrant population: size and composition
Recent state analyses put Minnesota’s foreign‑born population near 472,849 people, representing roughly 8.5% of residents and about one in 12 Minnesotans—figures cited by the Minnesota Chamber and state demographic summaries [1] [2]. The immigrant community is diverse: the largest origins include Mexico and Somalia, and children of immigrants now account for about one in five Minnesota children, reflecting long‑standing demographic shifts described by state and national profiles [2] [6].
2. Unauthorized immigrant estimates: what the numbers mean and where they come from
Estimates of the unauthorized population for Minnesota are generated by organizations such as the Migration Policy Institute and academic researchers who impute legal status from pooled American Community Survey and SIPP data and then weight those results to broader estimates [3]. MPI’s approach explicitly includes visa overstay cases and people with “liminal” statuses—like DACA or TPS holders—so any single number reflects methodological choices about who counts as unauthorized [3] [4].
3. Recent flows: immigration as the leading driver of growth this decade
U.S. Census data and state analysis indicate a rebound in international migration after the pandemic; between 2020 and 2024 over 81,000 new international arrivals made Minnesota their home, accounting for about 94% of the state’s net population growth in that period, with nearly 30,000 new arrivals recorded between July 2023 and July 2024 alone [7]. That surge is central to the Minnesota Chamber’s argument that immigration is now the leading component of population growth and an economic lever for the state [7].
4. Economic and civic roles cited by advocates and analysts
Business and policy organizations highlight immigrants’ outsized role in the labor force—about 81% of the foreign‑born are working age compared with 60% of the native born in one analysis—and point to entrepreneurship, tax contributions, and workforce replenishment as benefits to Minnesota’s economy [1] [8]. These claims are used to frame immigration as both a demographic necessity for a graying state and a source of economic vitality [1] [8].
5. Enforcement, politics and conflicting narratives
Enforcement data and reporting complicate the picture: a New York Times analysis found that roughly 30% of people ICE detained in Minnesota were referred by local jails and prisons—lower than in many states—a statistic that has been central to debates about state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement [9]. At the same time, media fact‑checks caution that state unauthorized estimates evolve slowly, depend on methodology, and may be misrepresented in social posts or political messaging [5].
6. Data gaps, undercounts and what to watch
State demographic centers and federal sources warn that Census‑based counts can understate immigrant communities because of survey nonresponse tied to trust and language barriers, and administrative datasets (naturalizations, LPRs, refugees) capture different slices of immigration [10] [4]. Readers tracking Minnesota numbers should watch releases from the Minnesota State Demographic Center, updated Census and MPI profiles, and analyses that separate legal, temporary and unauthorized statuses—because policy debates hinge as much on definitions and sources as on raw totals [10] [3].