Indians rank as third largest illegal immigrant group in US: Pew Research

According to recent estimates by the Pew Research Centre, the United States is home to approximately 725,000 Indian illegal immigrants, constituting the third-largest group of unauthorized immigrants in the country, following Mexico and El Salvador. The total unauthorized immigrant population in the US reached 10.5 million in 2021, representing 3% of the overall US population and 22% of the foreign-born population. Notably, almost every global region witnessed a significant increase in the number of unauthorized immigrants in the US between 2007 and 2021, with the most substantial upticks observed in Central America (240,000) and South and East Asia (180,000).

While the number of unauthorized Mexican immigrants decreased to 4.1 million in 2021 (the lowest since the 1990s), there was a rise in unauthorized immigrants from El Salvador (800,000) and India (725,000). Countries with the largest numbers of unauthorized immigrants in the US, including India, Brazil, Canada, and former Soviet Union nations, experienced growth from 2017 to 2021. The report also highlighted the six states with the largest unauthorized immigrant populations in 2021: California (1.9 million), Texas (1.6 million), Florida (900,000), New York (600,000), New Jersey (450,000), and Illinois (400,000). Additionally, the lawful immigrant population saw a 29% increase, reaching over 8 million, while the number of naturalized US citizens grew by 49%, constituting 49% of all immigrants in the country in 2021.