US Immigration Growth Slowing

The Census Bureau has released new information from the American Community Survey data at the Brookings Institution that says U.S. immigration growth is slowing, and that America’s immigrant population grew by only 200,000 from 2017 to 2018, the lowest increase since 2010.

The United State’s foreign-born population is at a historic high of almost 45 million, which is 13.7% of the US population, second only to the 14.7% record in 1910:

• New York and Illinois had measurable declines in their foreign-born populations
• 11 states had increases, including Florida, Texas and Arizona
• California has the greatest foreign-born population at 27%
• 5 metro areas—New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, and Houston—each with over 1.5 million foreign-born residents, have 36% of the total U.S. foreign-born population

According to the New York Times,

Experts said much of last year’s drop was probably an indirect effect of President Trump’s approach to immigration policy. Congress sets most limits on immigration, but a president’s policies can also have an effect. Mr. Trump’s ban on travel from several majority-Muslim countries in 2017 has stranded thousands of immigrants abroad. He has cut the number of refugees and created new procedures that make processing visa applications more onerous. 

A new Mexican border study said Chicago ranked 21^st in destination choice for refugees, and only 76 families of asylum seekers in the study choose Chicago.

Mario Godoy and the immigration attorneys at Godoy Law Office in Chicago fight for the rights of immigrants in Illinois and help immigrants navigate the complex and numerous immigration policies, procedures, and regulations. If you need help with an immigration issue, please contact our office at 855-554-3639.