FROM THE OUTSIDE | Migration: The American problem

Por

José Carreño Figueras

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Publicado: 17/3/2025 · 6:28 p.m. MX | Actualizado: 17/3/2025 · 6:28 p.m. MX

In stark contrast to the promises and actions of the current U.S. government, recent estimates from the prestigious Migration Policy Institute (MPI) warn that “for the first time since 1850, when the U.S. Census Bureau began recording birth data, immigration accounted for all U.S. population growth between 2022 and 2023, amid declining birth rates in the country.”

The implications are vast—demographically, economically, socially, and politically.

According to the MPI report “Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States,” the U.S. has historically hosted more immigrants than any other country in the world, with the immigrant population reaching 47.8 million in 2023. However, the percentage of foreign-born residents is slightly below the record high of 14.8% set in 1890 and is currently estimated at 14.3% in 2023.

Sigue leyendo:

Cubanos, venezolanos y ciudadanos de 39 países más NO podrán entrar a EEUU con ningún tipo de visa

Esto también afectará a las personas con residencia permanente, que verán complicado regresar al país

In 2024, immigrants and their U.S.-born children total over 93 million, making up 28% of the country’s non-institutionalized population. This marks an increase of about 20 million, or 27%, since 2010.

However, these percentages also fuel the rise of xenophobic views, as demonstrated throughout U.S. history—whether in the mid-19th century with the so-called “Know-Nothings” (who repeatedly claimed to “know nothing” when assaults on migrants occurred), the backlash against Italian, Irish, and Chinese immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, or the discrimination against Mexicans since the mid-20th century.

In this context, the report highlighted that nearly three-quarters of all immigrants in the U.S. live legally, and almost half are naturalized citizens.

The report shows that immigrants represented around 18% (30.6 million individuals) of the 171.9 million people in the U.S. civilian workforce in 2023, encompassing both those employed and those unemployed but actively seeking work. The share of immigrants in the workforce has more than tripled since 1970, when they comprised about 5%.

Immigrants make up about 14% of the total population and 18% of the civilian workforce.

In 2023, among the 29.4 million foreign-born workers aged 16 and older, the largest share (38%) was employed in managerial, professional, and related occupations.

In other words, the United States is starting to confront a dilemma that is already impacting other developed societies: restricting immigration at the expense of future population decline.

This issue is not simple due to the racial anxieties and xenophobic tendencies currently present in the United States, yet it is one that must be addressed in the short term.

José Carreño Figueras