Illegal immigration in the United States - Statistics & Facts

According to 2014 data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, more than 53 thousand people were deported from the U.S. for illegal immigration. Donald Trump's Executive Order 13768, "Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior United States" allows the federal government to more aggressively arrest and deport unauthorized immigrants, regardless of whether they have committed serious crimes.

The overall economic impact of illegal immigration in the U.S. remains largely ambiguous. The total deportation and enforcement costs of removing illegal immigrants from the U.S. were estimated to be between 103.9 to 303.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2015. The United States has also profited from unauthorized immigration. For example, illegal immigrants contribute to taxes. Illegal immigrants in the U.S. paid an estimated 7 billion in sales and excise tax, and 3.6 billion U.S. dollars in property tax in 2013.

In a 2016 poll, American adults were asked to state their opinion on whether immigrants strengthen the country because of their hard work and talents. About 76 percent of respondents born after 1980 gave a positive answer, while only 41 percent of Americans, born in the time period from 1928 to 1945, agreed with the statement. In a 2014 poll on illegal immigrants being allowed to stay in the U.S. if they fulfill certain criteria, 46 percent of American respondents believed that illegal immigrants should be allowed to apply for U.S. Citizenship. Around 24 percent of respondents thought that illegal immigrants should not be allowed to stay in the country legally.

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