Key Facts

• President Donald Trump began a large-scale deportation effort after his 2025 inauguration, resulting in nearly 3 million migrants leaving the U.S. within a year.
• The Pew Research Center found that 51% of voters see illegal immigration as a big problem, with higher concern among Republicans (78%) than Democrats (27%).
• Net immigration to the U.S. became negative for the first time in at least ten years in 2025, with estimates ranging from about -295,000 to -10,000 people.
• Census data showed net international migration peaked at 2.7 million in 2024, then dropped to 1.3 million in 2025, and could fall to about 321,000 in 2026.
• The U.S. population growth slowed to 0.5% between mid-2024 and mid-2025, the lowest rate since the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Experts disagree on immigration’s future impact: some warn a drop in immigration will age the workforce and shrink the population, while others advocate for lower immigration levels.
• The two immigration researchers mentioned have outlined three possible future scenarios based on varying migration levels.
• Immigration remains a highly partisan and controversial topic in American politics and society.