Immigration Figures & Facts

Immigration: By the Numbers

The flow of immigrants – legal and illegal – peaked eleven years ago in 2005 and has been declining ever since. For the last two years the country that provided the most immigrants to the United States is China. In second place is India. Mexico is third, but more Mexicans are leaving than entering. Net Mexican immigration has averaged a negative 28,000 per year for the last six years. Approximately 40% of illegal immigrants entered the country legally and then overstayed their visas.

Currently, in 2016, there are 82,243 employees who work in immigration, customs and border security, compared to 66,014 in 2008, the last year of the Bush Administration. The 2016 budget is 31% higher than the 2008 budget.

Of historical interest, the President who provided “amnesty” for the greatest number of illegal immigrants was Ronald Reagan. The Immigration Reform & Control Act (Simpson-Mazzoli Act) was signed into law by President Reagan 11/3/86. It provided a relatively easy path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who had been in the country for five years or more. Approximately 3.0 million of the 3.2 million immigrants in this category became citizens.