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The US immigrant population fell by 1.4 million in early 2025, driven by Donald Trump’s policies, impacting the labor market.
US President Donald Trump. (Image: CNN)
The US immigrant population has declined significantly for the first time since the 1960s, according to a report in NBC News. The population dropped by 1.4 million between January and June 2025.
The decline is driven by President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies, NBC News reported citing a new report by Pew Research Center.
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After Trump assumed office, the immigrant population fell from 53.3 million to 51.9 million, marking a historic shift.
The report, released on Thursday, links the decline to mass deportations, increased arrests, and tougher restrictions on legal immigration under the Trump administration.
“The data we are looking at represented a dramatic change,” said Jeffrey Passel, senior demographer at Pew, while speaking to the outlet News.
The drop is also impacting the American labor market which lost over 750,000 immigrant workers since the start of the year.
Passel warned that the US working-age population isn’t growing, and without new immigrants, the workforce can’t expand.
“If the workforce isn’t growing, it’s harder for the economy,” he further said.
Although immigration began slowing in 2024 under the Biden administration’s border reforms, the trend has sharply accelerated under Trump. The report also highlights a drop in the number of unauthorized immigrants, falling from a peak of 14 million in 2023—driven by stricter deportation efforts and removal of protections.
Despite the decline, the US still hosts the largest number of immigrants globally. However, countries like Canada and the UAE have a higher share of immigrants relative to their population.
As of June 2025, immigrants made up 15.4% of the U.S. population, down from 15.8% in January. The Pew report also noted a demographic shift, with more unauthorized immigrants now coming from South America rather than Mexico and Central America.
Texas and California remain the top states for immigrants, though the gap between them has narrowed.
About the Author
Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com’s general desk. She comes with an experience of over 5 years in media industry. She covers politics and other hard news. She can be contacted at Manisha.Roy@nw18…Read More
Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com’s general desk. She comes with an experience of over 5 years in media industry. She covers politics and other hard news. She can be contacted at Manisha.Roy@nw18… Read More
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