(Image source from: Times of India)

Statistics released by the United States Census Board earlier this week show that immigrants (both legal and illegal) comprised nearly 14 percent of the U.S. population. In other words, one out of seven U.S. residents is foreign-born.

In terms of numbers, the foreign-born population, based on findings of the American Community Survey (2017), rose by almost 8 lakh in 2016 to stand at 44.5 million (or 4.45 crore) in July 2017, which is an increase of 1.8 percent.

The United States is touted as a land of immigrants, but this share of immigrants in the entire population is the highest in over a century. The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), which is viewed an anti-immigration think-tank, terms this as a record increase. 

"As recently as 1980, just one out of 16 U.S. residents was foreign-born," CIS points out in its report. CIS has done an extensive analysis of the data.

According to its report, the 'sending' countries with the largest numerical increase in immigrants between 2010 and 2017 were India (up by 8.30 lakh), China (up by 6.77 lakh) and the Dominican Republic (up by 2.83 lakh).

Related content: 717 Indians Held in U.S., Canada for Illegal Entry

The percentage increases for these countries between 2010 and 2017 were 47 percent, 31 percent, and 32 percent.

Nepal showed the highest percentage increase in immigrants since 2010. With 1.52 lakh Nepalese in the U.S., as of July 2017, it showed a percentage increase of 120 percent since 2010. Pakistan showed a percentage increase of 31 percent in terms of inflow of migrants to the U.S. to stand at nearly 4 lakh in number.

                          (Image source from: Times of India)

According to the U.S. Census Board, the term foreign-born refers to individuals who were not U.S. citizens at birth. It includes those immigrants who later obtained U.S. citizenship, green card holders, temporary workers (such as those on H-1B visa) and international students.

The report by CIS points out that between 2010 and 2017, 95 lakh new immigrants settled in the U.S. New arrivals are offset by roughly 3 lakh immigrants who return home each year and an annual natural mortality of an equal number. 

As a consequence, the immigrant population grew 46 lakh from 2010 to 2017.

Recent protectionist measures may, in the coming years, result in a gradual decrease in the number of foreign-born in the U.S., owing to a number of factors, such as increase in denial of work visas or extensions to temporary workers, slowdown in hiring of immigrants, dip in the number of international students and deportation of illegal immigrants.

By Sowmya Sangam