Unauthorized Aliens in the United States: Estimates Since 1986

Publication Date: September 2004

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

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Research Area: Population and demographics

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Abstract:

Estimates derived from the March Supplement of the U.S. Bureau of Census's Current Population Survey indicate that the unauthorized resident alien population (commonly referred to as illegal aliens) has risen from 3.2 million in 1986 to 9.3 million in 2002. The estimated number of unauthorized aliens had dropped to 1.9 million in 1988 following passage of a law that legalized many unauthorized aliens. Research suggests a constellation of factors have contributed to the increase in unauthorized resident aliens, including the "push-pull" of a prosperous economy, the inadvertent consequence of border enforcement policies that have curbed the fluid movement of migrant workers, and the backlogs in processing immigrant petitions. This report will be updated as needed.