Unauthorized immigration statistics describe several different things: a modeled estimate of people living in the United States, border apprehensions recorded during particular months, and immigration-enforcement actions. The measures are not interchangeable. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Homeland Security Statistics (OHSS) estimated 10.99 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States on January 1, 2022. Separately, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recorded 6,321 USBP apprehensions at the Southwest Border in August 2025, while Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported 271,484 removals during fiscal year 2024.
Contents
- Resident population and trend
- Countries of birth
- States of residence
- Age and sex profile
- Southwest Border apprehensions
- FY2024 enforcement outcomes
Resident population and trend
OHSS estimated the resident unauthorized immigrant population at 11,570,000 on January 1, 2018. The estimate declined to 11,110,000 on January 1, 2019, and to 10,510,000 on January 1, 2020. The report gives no January 1, 2021 estimate because the 2020 American Community Survey did not meet quality standards. OHSS then estimated 10,990,000 unauthorized immigrants on January 1, 2022.
| Measurement date | OHSS estimated resident unauthorized population |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2018 | 11,570,000 |
| January 1, 2019 | 11,110,000 |
| January 1, 2020 | 10,510,000 |
| January 1, 2021 | No estimate available |
| January 1, 2022 | 10,990,000 |
The January 1, 2022 estimate was 600,000 lower than the January 1, 2018 estimate. These figures are modeled estimates of the resident population, not a direct census. OHSS defines the population as foreign-born noncitizens who are not legally resident under the categories stated in its report. The measurement date is important: a resident-population estimate is a point-in-time estimate and should not be read as a count of border encounters or enforcement actions.
Countries of birth
OHSS’s 2022 estimates show that Mexico was the country of birth for 4,810,000 unauthorized immigrants residing in the United States. Guatemala accounted for an estimated 750,000, followed by El Salvador at 710,000 and Honduras at 560,000. The Philippines accounted for 350,000, while Venezuela accounted for 320,000.
Other reported country-of-birth estimates included 240,000 for Colombia, 230,000 for Brazil, and 220,000 for India. China, including Hong Kong and Macau in the OHSS table, accounted for an estimated 210,000. All of these figures refer to the resident unauthorized population on January 1, 2022; they are not monthly border totals.
The largest reported country-of-birth estimate was Mexico’s 4.81 million. The next four listed estimates—Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and the Philippines—were each below one million. Because these are OHSS estimates of people residing in the country, they provide a different perspective from apprehension statistics, which record encounters at a border during a specified period.
States of residence
In 2022, California was home to an estimated 2,600,000 unauthorized immigrants and Texas to 2,060,000. The other listed states had substantially smaller estimates: Florida had 590,000, New Jersey 490,000, Illinois 420,000, and New York 410,000.
OHSS also estimated 360,000 unauthorized immigrants in North Carolina, 340,000 in Georgia, 340,000 in Washington, and 290,000 in Arizona. These state figures describe residence, not the location of a border encounter or the place where an enforcement action occurred.
| State | Estimated unauthorized immigrant population, 2022 |
|---|---|
| California | 2,600,000 |
| Texas | 2,060,000 |
| Florida | 590,000 |
| New Jersey | 490,000 |
| Illinois | 420,000 |
| New York | 410,000 |
| North Carolina | 360,000 |
| Georgia | 340,000 |
| Washington | 340,000 |
| Arizona | 290,000 |
California and Texas were the two largest state estimates in the reported group. The distribution also shows that the resident population was reported across multiple regions, including the Southeast, Midwest, Northeast, and Pacific Northwest. The numbers remain estimates for January 1, 2022 and should not be treated as current counts for later years.
Age and sex profile
OHSS estimated 1,230,000 unauthorized immigrants under age 18 in 2022. The estimate was 760,000 for ages 18–24, 2,120,000 for ages 25–34, 3,380,000 for ages 35–44, 2,420,000 for ages 45–54, and 1,080,000 for age 55 or older.
The reported age groups show the largest estimate in the 35–44 category, followed by ages 45–54 and ages 25–34. The under-18 estimate was 1.23 million. These are age categories in the resident-population estimate, not age totals for people apprehended at the border.
The age profile is useful because it places the population estimate in demographic context. It distinguishes minors from adults and separates younger adults from older age groups, while the sex totals provide another descriptive breakdown. The figures are rounded estimates as reported by OHSS, and the categories are tied to the January 1, 2022 measurement date. They do not establish how long any individual had lived in the United States, when a person entered, or what immigration process may have applied to that person.
By sex, OHSS estimated 5,960,000 male and 5,030,000 female unauthorized immigrants in 2022. Among those under age 18, the estimates were 630,000 male and 600,000 female. For ages 25–34, the estimates were 1,140,000 male and 970,000 female.
Southwest Border apprehensions
CBP recorded 56,520 USBP apprehensions at the Southwest Border in October 2024. The monthly figure was 46,612 in November and 47,325 in December. It then fell to 29,105 in January 2025, 8,350 in February, and 7,181 in March.
The reported totals were 8,376 apprehensions in April 2025, 8,723 in May, 6,068 in June, and 6,321 in August. July is not included in the supplied series, so the listed months should not be treated as a complete continuous monthly sequence.
| Month | USBP apprehensions at Southwest Border |
|---|---|
| October 2024 | 56,520 |
| November 2024 | 46,612 |
| December 2024 | 47,325 |
| January 2025 | 29,105 |
| February 2025 | 8,350 |
| March 2025 | 7,181 |
| April 2025 | 8,376 |
| May 2025 | 8,723 |
| June 2025 | 6,068 |
| August 2025 | 6,321 |
These are encounters recorded by USBP at the Southwest Border. CBP apprehension figures are not equivalent to unique people and are not equivalent to the resident unauthorized population. They also do not describe the total number of people who attempted to cross outside the recorded apprehensions.
Source: CBP, Migrant Protection Protocols.
FY2024 enforcement outcomes
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) reported 271,484 removals of noncitizens with final orders of removal in fiscal year 2024. Those people were sent to 192 different countries. Fiscal years run from October 1 through September 30, so FY2024 is an administrative reporting period rather than a calendar year.
Of the noncitizens removed by ICE ERO in FY2024, 88,763 had charges or convictions for criminal activity. ICE ERO also reported removing 3,706 known or suspected gang members, 237 known or suspected terrorists, and 8 human-rights violators.
ERO conducted 113,431 administrative arrests during FY2024, including 33,243 at-large arrests. Separately, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted 32,608 criminal arrests. ICE also reported seizing more than 1.6 million pounds of narcotics during its criminal investigations.
These figures measure agency actions and outcomes, not the size of the unauthorized population. In particular, removals, administrative arrests, criminal arrests, and narcotics seizures are different categories of activity. They should not be added together or used as a direct estimate of how many unauthorized immigrants lived in the United States.
Source: ICE, Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report.