Pew: Unauthorized immigrant population hit record of 14 million in 2023

The number of unauthorized immigrants in the US reached a record number of 14 million in 2023, according to an Aug. 21 Pew Research Center report.

Pew noted that the all-time high for unauthorized immigration followed two consecutive years of record growth, increasing by 3.5 million in just two years. In 2023, unauthorized immigrants made up 27% of all US immigrants. Two years earlier, the same group accounted for 22% of all immigrants. 

According to Pew, “The total number with temporary protections from deportations increased after 2021 following policy changes made by the Biden administration that allowed many immigrants to arrive in the U.S. with protected status and others to gain protection shortly after arriving.” 

The study broke unauthorized immigrants down into two categories, those who have some protections from deportation and those who do not. Eight million did not have protections, while six million did, up from 2.7 million in 2021. According to Pew, the category of “unauthorized” immigrants includes individuals who do not belong to six groups: green card holders; formally admitted refugees; those granted asylum; those granted legal residence under the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act; naturalized US citizens under specific categories; and temporary residents under specific visas.

Pew reported that the 2023 data is the most recent information available on unauthorized immigration but added that as of the middle of 2025, “the unauthorized immigrant population likely remains above 2023 levels.” Pew also noted that the overall immigrant population reached a record high of more than 53 million (15.8% of the US population) in January but that the number was cut by more than one million by June.

“This would be the first sustained drop in the U.S. immigrant population since the 1960s,” Pew reported.

According to Pew, more than 12 million unauthorized immigrants in 2023 either entered the US illegally or overstayed a visa. Most unauthorized immigrants came from Mexico, while thousands of others came from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and India. States with the highest populations of unauthorized immigrants include California, Texas, and Florida.

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