Illegal immigrant population decreased by 1.6 million under Trump: study

The illegal immigrant population in the U.S. has decreased by 1.6 million under President Trump, according to a study released Tuesday.

The Center for Immigration Studies conducted the study, based on the Census Bureau’s monthly Current Population Survey.

The think tank study found the total foreign-born population in the U.S. dropped by 2.2 million from January to July, and that the number included 1.6 million illegal immigrants. 

The illegal immigrant population is now estimated to be 14.2 million.

CIS research director Steven A. Camarota told The Washington Times that the illegal-immigrant population increased from 10.2 million at the start of the Biden administration to 15.8 million in January, and is now at 14.2 million.

Illegal immigrants come into the U.S. at about 120,000 new people each month. But over the last six months, the illegal immigrant population has been dropping at a rate of nearly 270,000 a month.

“The best evidence we have is that the illegal population is now falling at a rate that even exceeds the massive growth that we had in Biden’s four years,” Camarota said.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said last week that foreign leaders in the western hemisphere have told her that they are seeing a wave of people arriving in their countries after leaving the U.S.

“Over and over again, I’m hearing that hundreds of thousands of their citizens are coming home, voluntarily,” she said.

While some illegal immigrants returned home, others either gained legal status or died.

As a result of the decreased foreign-born population, Camarota said, the total U.S. population could decline this year for the first time since the 1930s.

“It’s likely that this represents a savings in money for the taxpayer,” he said. “It will take pressure off schools and hospitals and other services. It’s likely it will potentially create job opportunities for Americans.”

While it is possible that the Census Bureau data reflects foreign-born, or especially illegal immigrants, now lying and saying they are U.S.-born legal residents, Camarota said that's not likely.

Also, some illegal immigrant households could have stopped responding to the bureau's survey.