Encounters are recorded by the Border Patrol sector or Field Office where they occurred. The southwest border accounts for the vast majority of all encounters.
Lawful permanent residents are classified by admission category. The breakdown varies by country of origin: India skews toward employment-based visas, while Central American countries are predominantly asylum and family reunification.
Most people who crossed the border were released with a notice to appear in court. A smaller fraction entered the ICE enforcement pipeline: arrested, detained, and in some cases removed.
The same population measured by enforcement statistics also sustains industries, pays taxes, and generates economic output. An estimated 8.3 million undocumented workers live in the US, most working informally on farms, construction sites, restaurant kitchens, and in private homes.
CBO baseline projection vs. Peterson Institute mass deportation scenario. The gap represents $3.2T in lost output by 2030.
Net migration likely went negative in 2025 for the first time in decades. Brookings estimates GDP growth reduced by 0.19 to 0.26 percentage points, with consumer spending declining $60 to $110 billion over 2025 and 2026.
Over a 30-year horizon, the Cato Institute estimates all immigrants produce a net fiscal surplus of $0. Without immigrants, public debt would exceed 200% of GDP.
The foreign-born population in the United States reached 50.2 million in 2024, 14.8% of the total population, matching the record set in 1890. What looks like a surge is, in historical terms, a return to normal.
Source: Migration Policy Institute tabulation of data from U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census and American Community Survey. The shaded band marks the period covered by the interactive map above.
This site combines data from CBP encounter records, Census ACS foreign-born estimates, USCIS admission statistics, and refugee arrival data. Each measures a different population: crossings, settlement, and legal classification.