Foreign-born population has dropped 2.2 million since January: Report

The foreign-born population of the United States declined by 2.2 million people since January, according to an analysis from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS).

That figure includes an estimated 1.6 million illegal aliens. The CIS based its report on Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data and suggested that much of the exodus stemmed from self-deportations driven by the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

Overall, the study found that there were roughly 53.3 million foreign-born people in the U.S. in January of 2025, compared with 51.1 million in July.

The total still remains dramatically higher than the January 2021 figure of 45 million and reflects the volume of foreign entries that occurred under the Biden administration. Notably, the drop appears to have been driven almost entirely by a departure of non-citizens, with that population dropping from 27.3 million in January, to 24.7 in July.

“The July jobs report shows that as illegal aliens continue to exit the labor force, more Americans are finding steady and gainful employment. President Trump and Secretary Noem’s leadership is making America both safe and prosperous again,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Just the News.

“All illegal aliens are encouraged to leave the country by self-deporting using the CBP Home App to receive $1,000, a free flight, travel assistance, and the potential opportunity to come back the legal way. Don’t wait: leave today before it’s too late," she added.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.