How Many Illegal Immigrants Are in the US? Latest 2026 Data & Trends

The unauthorized immigrant population in the United States has become one of the most debated and data-intensive topics in American policy. As of 2026, the picture has changed dramatically from just two years ago — record-high numbers have given way to a sharp enforcement crackdown, rising deportations, and a declining unauthorized population. This article compiles the latest verified data available as of June 2026.

Current Estimates: How Many Unauthorized Immigrants Are in the US in 2026?

Estimates for the unauthorized immigrant population vary by source and methodology, but all major organizations agree that the number has declined from the 2023 peak:

Pew Research Center (most recent full estimate): 14 million as of July 2023 — a record high. Pew notes the population likely began declining in 2025 due to enforcement changes under the Trump administration.

Center for Immigration Studies (CIS): estimated 15.8 million as of January 2025, after adjusting for undercounting — but notes the population has since started to shrink.

Center for Migration Studies (CMS): approximately 12.2 million as of 2023.

FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform): estimated 18.6 million as of March 2025 — the highest estimate, based on aggressive undercount corrections.

General 2026 consensus range: most analysts place the current unauthorized population somewhere between 10.5 million and 14 million, reflecting significant departures and deportations throughout 2025.

The U.S. total foreign-born population stood at 51.9 million as of June 2025, representing about 15.4% of the entire U.S. population.

The 2023–2024 Peak and the Reversal

The unauthorized immigrant population surged sharply from 10.5 million in 2021 to 14 million in 2023 — the largest two-year increase ever recorded. The drivers included:

• Record border encounters during the Biden administration
• Expanded humanitarian parole programs
• U.S. Census Bureau undercounting, which the Bureau acknowledged and revised in December 2024

However, by mid-2024, the trajectory reversed. The Biden administration paused several asylum programs, and border encounters began to fall sharply. When the Trump administration took office in January 2025, an aggressive enforcement posture accelerated this decline.

2025–2026 Enforcement: Unprecedented Scale

The scale of immigration enforcement in 2025 and into 2026 is genuinely historic. Key data points:

Border crossings collapsed: In December 2025, there were just 6,478 apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border — an 86% drop from the same month a year prior. Throughout most of 2025, monthly border crossing attempts ranged between just 4,500 and 8,800 — the lowest levels recorded since at least September 2000.

ICE detention peaked: The detained population reached a record high of 70,766 people on January 24, 2026 — the first time ICE has ever held more than 70,000 people. By April 2026, it had moderated to approximately 60,311 — still higher than any level recorded before this administration.

Interior deportations surged: Deportations following ICE interior arrests increased by more than 4.5 times compared to pre-inauguration levels. Release within 60 days of detention, once common (35% under Biden), became nearly nonexistent (3–7%).

Voluntary departures exploded: Voluntary departures increased by 21 times compared to pre-administration levels, suggesting many unauthorized immigrants are leaving proactively due to fear of arrest.

DHS total removals and departures: The Department of Homeland Security reported over 675,000 formal deportations plus an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations in Trump's first year — though the self-deportation figure has been disputed by independent researchers at CMS, who argue it is significantly overstated.

For comparison, ICE deported 271,000 immigrants in FY2024 — the highest since 2014 — yet 2025 enforcement dwarfed even that figure.

Who Is Being Deported?

A notable shift has occurred in the profile of those being removed. Before the second Trump administration, most deportees had criminal convictions. That has reversed:

As of April 2026, 70.8% of all ICE detainees (42,722 out of 60,311) had no criminal conviction.

Nearly two-thirds of men removed since January 2025 do not have criminal convictions — a stark reversal from the prior decade, when most deportees had prior convictions.

The Trump administration maintains that many of these individuals have criminal records in other countries and that DHS targets the "worst of the worst," though independent data shows the profile of detainees is broader.

Where Do Unauthorized Immigrants Come From?

Country-of-origin data reflects the major shift away from Mexico as the dominant source:

Mexico: ~4.3 million (30% of the 2023 total — the lowest share on record, down from 62% in 2010)

Guatemala: ~850,000

El Salvador: ~850,000

Honduras: ~775,000

India: ~680,000

Other significant origins include Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, and the Philippines

This diversification mirrors global migration trends. Much like the way the population in Italy has been reshaped by arrivals from North Africa, Eastern Europe, and South Asia over the past two decades, the U.S. unauthorized immigrant population now draws from a far wider geographic base than in the early 2000s.

Key Takeaways for 2026

The unauthorized immigrant population peaked in 2023 at approximately 14 million and has been declining since mid-2024.

2025–2026 saw the most aggressive immigration enforcement in U.S. history, with record ICE detention, interior deportations rising 4.5x, and border crossings at multi-decade lows.

The profile of deportees has shifted — the majority of those removed now have no criminal conviction, a reversal from previous administrations.

Estimates still vary widely (from ~10.5 million to 18+ million) due to the inherent difficulty of measuring a population that avoids government surveys, compounded by increasing reluctance to respond to Census surveys under heightened enforcement.

Over 3 million unauthorized immigrants have left the U.S. through some combination of formal removal and voluntary departure since January 2025, according to DHS — though independent researchers dispute the self-deportation portion of that figure.