Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
Immigration in the United States - statistics & facts
The United States has a long history with immigration with the vast majority of the American population coming from some form of immigrant background apart from American Indians or Alaska Natives. The economic strength of the United States, alongside the substantial soft power it possesses, means that demand for so-called ‘green cards’, or permanent residence visas, is high. Since 2007, the United States has approved around one million green cards per year, although this number fell slightly in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The greatest number of permanent residency approvals in 2023 were for persons residing in the state of California.
At the heart of the current immigration debate is the number of undocumented immigrants living in the country, a deeply polarizing issue: nearly all surveyed Democrats say President Donald Trump’s approach to immigration, including deportations of legal immigrants, was too harsh, compared with just eight percent of Republicans. This divide continues to fuel disagreements over whether undocumented immigrants should be allowed to remain.
Immigration and politics
Motives for immigration may differ, yet most are divided into two main categories: push factors that drive people away from their home country, including persecution, poverty, and oppression, and pull factors that draw people toward their target country, such as family reunification and education or employment opportunities. Despite the United States’ past reputation as a destination for those seeking freedom from their own circumstances, immigration has become one of the most contested issues in American politics. Although 79 percent of Americans felt that immigration was a good thing as of 2025, this public perception has been in decline over the last few years. Similarly, a study conducted in that same year found that over 30 percent of Americans think that the level of immigration to the U.S. should be decreased in the future.
The most recent point of public opinion discussion has been around the role of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE deported roughly 330,000 people in the fiscal year 2025, the highest total in about a decade , while its detention system swelled to unprecedented levels, holding around 65,700 people on a single day in late November 2025, a rise of roughly 65 percent in just one year. Public unease has grown alongside those numbers: nearly two-thirds of Americans say ICE is making the country less safe, and that sentiment hardened further after the fatal shootings of Minneapolis residents Renée Good and Alex Pretti during enforcement operations in early 2026, which sparked widespread protests and renewed demands for tighter oversight of the agency.
Refugees in the United States
Refugee policy has also become a contested issue in American politics, alongside debates over illegal immigration. Despite the extensive vetting process required to obtain refugee status, tens of thousands enter the U.S. each year, including over 6,758 Afghan refugees in the fiscal year 2025 alone. Public attitudes remain divided: while most Americans supported accepting Ukrainian refugees following Russia's 2022 invasion, around one third opposed admitting them in large numbers, reflecting the broader uncertainty over how open the United States should be to those fleeing violence abroad.
