The immigrant population in the United States is on the rise again, reaching a record high of more than 46 million, according to recent estimates from the United States Census Bureau. This represents a significant increase of almost a million people from the previous year – a remarkable development considering that growth has slowed in recent years due to a variety of factors, including China’s anti-immigration policies. Trump and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The share of foreign-born people in the U.S. population, which had remained relatively stable since 2017, reached nearly 14% according to the latest data, making growth in 2022 as large as the previous four years combined.
At the state level, Florida has seen the most substantial increase in its foreign-born population, with more than 200,000 additional immigrants in the past year. This is more than double the state’s growth, with the second largest increase being Georgia, where immigrants made up 10.7% of the state’s population in 2022.
Census data also highlights immigrant population gains in other states such as Maryland, New Jersey and Iowa, due in part to existing support systems and already established immigrant communities in these areas .
This latest census data highlights the evolving nature of the immigrant population in the United States, with notable changes in the countries from which these individuals immigrate and in their education levels. The data reveals a significant increase in the number of immigrants from Latin America and Asia. Many new immigrants also hold undergraduate or postgraduate degrees, challenging the stereotype that immigrants are mostly low-skilled and dependent on government support.
Experts attribute the resumption of growth to several factors, including the gradual restart of visa processing, interrupted during the pandemic. The increase in immigrants is a sign that the U.S. immigration system is operating more efficiently, with more people admitted after a period of restricted immigration. The Biden administration’s efforts to welcome tens of thousands of people under new humanitarian parole programs contributed to this increase, in addition to the recent influx of migrants at the United States-Mexico border.