Index/Topics/Unauthorized immigrant population in the US

Unauthorized immigrant population in the US

Estimates of the unauthorized immigrant population in the United States, with various research bodies providing different numbers due to methodological differences and data limitations.

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5 results
Jan 25, 2026
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Number of undocumented immigrants in Minnesota

Estimates of ’s undocumented (unauthorized) population vary widely because researchers use different sources and adjustments; recent, widely cited work from the estimates about 130,000 as of 2023 , wh...

Jan 26, 2026
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What methods do US authorities use to estimate the number of undocumented immigrants?

estimates of the undocumented (or unauthorized) immigrant population rest on a mix of survey “residual” calculations, administrative flow accounting, microdata bottom‑up reconstructions and alternativ...

Jan 14, 2026
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How do independent groups like MPI, Pew, and ACLU calculate deportation totals and where do their methods diverge?

Independent analysts calculate “deportation” totals using different inputs, definitions and counting rules: the ACLU’s Deportation Data Project analyzes ICE administrative records obtained via FOIA an...

Jan 27, 2026

How does Pew Research estimate unauthorized immigrants by state and how does that differ from MPI methods?

Both the and the rely on variants of the well‑established “residual” approach—subtracting an estimated lawful foreign‑born population from total foreign‑born counts—but they implement that core idea d...

Jan 26, 2026

What methods do Pew, Cato and CMS use to estimate the undocumented population and why do their results differ?

Three major independent centers— and the , along with multiple academic groups—rely on variants of the to produce nationwide counts of unauthorized immigrants, but they diverge because of different su...