Immigrant population in US declines for first time since 1960s under Trump admin

In January, the immigrant population had hit its all-time high under the last few weeks of the Biden administration at 53.3 million. Now, that number appears to be smaller at 51.9 million people, according to Pew Research. The reduction has also been seen in the labor force, where there has been a drop of 750,000 workers since January 2025, when Trump took office.

"The data we are looking at represented a dramatic change," Pew Researcher Jeffrey Passel said. “This is really the first time we’ve seen a drop like this,” he added.

Under President Trump, there has been a dramatic drop in illegal entry into the country at the southern border, with multiple months in 2025 recording zero illegal immigrant crossings. At the same time, the Department of Homeland Security under the president has been detaining illegal immigrants at a higher rate, with a strong focus on those who are public safety threats and criminals.

In addition to the policy steps on illegal immigration, the Trump administration has also tightened up vetting on visa applicants. One of the latest moves from the State Department has been to pause all work visas for commercial truck driving in light of an accident that occurred in Florida after an illegal immigrant was able to obtain a commercial license in California. After the crash, the driver failed an English test for road signage.

Additionally, Trump has moved to remove Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from those from multiple countries, including Nepal, Nicaragua, Honduras, and others. TPS was expanded by the Biden administration when the policy had usually been meant to give foreign nationals the liberty to stay in the US if their country is going through turmoil, and is meant as a temporary measure.