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Immigrant Population Estimation Methods

Methods used to estimate the immigrant population, including the residual estimation method, undercount adjustments, and the use of different surveys and data sources.

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2 results
Feb 5, 2026

How do DHS, Pew Research Center, and Center for Migration Studies estimates of undocumented immigrants differ?

The three leading estimates — the , the , and the — start from the same basic toolset (the ’s surveys and the “residual” approach) but produce different headline totals because they use different micr...

Feb 4, 2026

How many unauthorized immigrants live in Minnesota by county and how are those estimates produced?

Two reputable, nonpartisan research centers put ’s unauthorized-immigrant population in the ballpark of roughly 100,000–130,000 as of the most recent published estimates that use 2019–23 and 2023 surv...