Demographic data from 2024 shows the size of the US immigration problem

Two sets of demographic data from the US government show the depth of the country's immigration problem: the 2024 census and the data for the year's deportations.

The Census Bureau added parole holders who only have temporary status in the US. The data change contributed to a growth in the number of immigrants counted by the census.

According to a press release by the Census Bureau, immigration drove the highest demographic growth in the US in over two decades between 2023 and 2024.

The population grew by 1% last year, "a notable increase from the record low growth rate of 0.2% in 2021," the agency added.

The office said foreign-born individuals accounted for 84% of the country's population growth. 2.8 million out of the 3.3 million new people were immigrants.

The number was large but not too different from the previous years: 1.7 million between 2021 and 2022 and 2.1 million between 2022 and 2023.

The agency explained that this reflects a clear trend: immigration is driving the country's demographic growth despite a recovery in natural population increases.

Another number that clears up the picture of the size of the country's immigration issue is the total of deportations. According to Spanish newspaper El Pais, Biden broke records.

The newspaper said the Biden Administration sent back 267.260 immigrants in 2024. It was the highest number of deportations in over a decade, breaking Obama's record.

The Biden Administration policy focused on deporting immigrants who have committed crimes. The newspapers said that diplomatic efforts contributed to more countries accepting the deported.

According to El Pais, over a third of those deported (88,763 immigrants) had criminal records. On average, 5.6 crimes were committed for each person with priors deported.

The new Trump administration might switch the policy to a broader chase, with massive deportations that don't necessarily look at criminal records.

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