6.4 million undocumented residents in the US, 725,000 Indians among them: Study

Study reveals 6.4 million illegal immigrants reside in the US, with 725,000 hailing from India

By Gurmehar --
Thursday, 23 Nov, 2023

A recent study by the Pew Research Center reveals that Indians constitute the third-largest group of illegal immigrants in the United States, numbering approximately 725,000. This places India behind Mexico and El Salvador in the list of countries with significant unauthorized immigrant populations in the US.

The research indicates that the overall count of unauthorized immigrants in the US stands at 10.5 million, making up about three percent of the total US population. Furthermore, this group represents 22 percent of the foreign-born population in the country.

Global trends in unauthorized immigration

The study highlights a notable surge in unauthorized immigrants from regions around the world, with Central America witnessing a rise of 240,000, and South and East Asia observing an increase of 180,000 between 2007 and 2021.

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Data from the US Customs and Border Protection reveals a significant influx of undocumented Indian immigrants, with 6,917 individuals apprehended, expelled, or denied entry between October 2022 and September 2023. The number of encounters has seen a notable increase since the opening of borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with 97,000 encounters this year, including 30,010 at the Canadian border and 41,770 at the Southern border.

US States with highest unauthorized immigrant numbers

California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois have the highest concentrations of unauthorized immigrants. While Florida and Washington experienced increases in their unauthorized immigrant populations, California and Nevada witnessed decreases.

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The research underscores the complex landscape of immigration in the US, with lawful immigrant populations growing significantly in contrast to a relatively stable number of unauthorized immigrants.