America’s Foreign-Born Population Hits All-Time High

The United States has reached a new record in its foreign-born population, with a staggering 49.5 million immigrants residing in the country. This historic influx has occurred in just under a year since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021.

As per analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies, this surge in foreign-born residents has increased by 4.5 million since Biden’s inauguration, making it the largest immigrant population in American history.

Steven Camarota and Karen Zeigler of CIS attribute this significant increase in immigration to the policies and actions taken by the Biden administration. In comparison, former President Barack Obama saw an average of 68,000 monthly arrivals, while under former President Donald Trump, the number was around 42,000.

In a stark contrast, Biden has more than doubled the monthly inflow of immigrants at a staggering 137,000. Out of the 4.5 million arrivals, about half have entered the country illegally, while the remaining two million have come through legal channels.

The sweeping wave of immigration has predominantly originated from Latin America, with about 6-in-10 arrivals hailing from this region. The remaining sources of immigration are primarily from Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.

However, despite widespread attention to illegal immigration, the majority of this surge is a result of legal immigration, which accounts for 75 percent of the total foreign-born population. This means that without any changes to legal immigration levels, the foreign-born population is projected to reach a staggering 70 million by 2060.

The issue of immigration has become a contentious topic in recent years, with many Americans expressing concerns over the impact it has on the country. A recent poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports showed that 56 percent of likely voters want legal immigration levels to be reduced to at least 750,000 admissions a year, with a significant number advocating for even lower numbers.

Another major concern raised by voters is the current policy of “chain migration,” which allows newly naturalized citizens to sponsor an unlimited number of foreign relatives for green cards. 62 percent of likely voters reported being against this policy, calling for changes to immigration laws to halt the influx of foreign relatives.

The exponential growth in the foreign-born population has sparked widespread debate on the impact of immigration on the country. The Biden administration has been under increased pressure to address this issue and enact reforms that reflect the will of the American people. It remains to be seen whether any changes will be implemented in the near future to slow down the influx of immigrants and ease concerns among the public.


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