Immigration — United States · Synthesis

A foreign-born share of population close to its record. Foreign-born people represent about 14-15% of the population (≈ 46-47 million, Census Bureau), a level approaching the historical record of the early 20th century. Immigration has strongly supported demographic and labour-force growth over the recent period (see the Labor and Economy categories).

Massive and diverse legal immigration. The United States issues each year about one million permanent resident cards (“green cards”), via family reunification (the majority), employment, the diversity lottery and asylum/refugees. Naturalizations reach on the order of 800,000 to one million per year (DHS).

An undocumented population of about 11 million. The number of people living in the United States without legal status is estimated at around 11 million (Pew Research, DHS), an order of magnitude that has been stable for a decade. Their status (regularization, deportation, programmes such as DACA) is one of the most divisive subjects in political life.

The southern border, the focal point of the debate. Crossings and apprehensions at the southern border reached record levels in 2023-2024 before receding. The management of asylum, of pending applicants and of mixed flows is at the centre of migration news and of tensions between the federal executive, Congress and the states.

Economic integration. The employment rate of immigrants is generally high, close to or higher than that of the native-born for men, reflecting a flexible labour market. Immigrants are over-represented at both ends of the skills scale (agriculture, construction, services; but also technology, health, research).

A blocked legislative system. Comprehensive immigration reform has been debated without success for decades in Congress. In its absence, migration policy evolves mainly through executive orders and court decisions, hence strong instability depending on the administrations.

Border and asylum. Control of the southern border and reform of the asylum system (processing capacity, legal pathways, agreements with transit countries) are the dominant operational issues, very politically sensitive.

Economic needs and demographics. With an ageing population, immigration is a key determinant of labour-force growth and of the financing of pensions. The trade-off between economic needs and control of flows structures the debate (see the Labor category).

Status of the undocumented. The fate of the some 11 million people without status (regularization, DACA for those who arrived as minors, deportations) remains one of the most polarizing points, with no stable solution to date.

The open questions. Three issues will shape the period: (1) reforming a blocked legislative system; (2) managing the border and asylum; (3) reconciling economic needs, demographics and control of flows.

Placed in their environment, the United States is a major country of immigration, with a high foreign-born share of population but lower than Canada's, with labour migration proportionally smaller than the latter's.

Three takeaways. (1) Immigrant share of population: high. At ≈ 14-15%, the foreign-born share of population is close to Germany (≈ 19%) and the United Kingdom (≈ 15%), above France (≈ 13%) and the EU average, but below Canada (≈ 23%).

(2) A dominant family profile. Like France, the United States admits mostly on the basis of family reunification, unlike Canada which favours selective economic immigration (points system).

(3) Comparisons to be handled with caution. The definitions (foreign-born, naturalized, undocumented) and counting methods differ. The US specificity is the scale of the population without legal status, with no direct equivalent among the comparators.