The US immigrant population has declined for the first time since the 1960s, with Pew Research attributing the drop to deportations, departures, and stricter immigration policies under both Presidents Biden and Trump.
The United States has recorded its first decline in immigrant population in decades, according to new data from the Pew Research Centre. The analysis showed that between January and June 2024, the number of foreign-born residents dropped by nearly 1.5 million, from 53.3 million to 51.9 million. Pew noted that departures and deportations outpaced new arrivals, marking the first net decline since the 1960s.
While the report did not specify undocumented immigrant figures, the findings were welcomed by President Donald Trump and his administration. Trump shared an image on Truth Social with the caption: “Promises Made. Promises Kept. Negative net immigration for the first time in 50 years.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem praised the development, saying, “Seven months into his second term, it’s clear that the president has done what he said he’d do by re-establishing law and order at our southern border and by removing violent illegal immigrants from our nation.”
Pew also noted restrictive measures began under former President Joe Biden.