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https://cis.org/Camarota/Apparent-Decline-Immigrant-Population-Real
On August 12 my colleague Karen Zeigler and I released a widely cited report showing that the foreign-born population (legal and illegal immigrants combined) had declined by 2.2 million from January of this year to July. The analysis was based on the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS), which is collected by the Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Using the same data, we also estimated that the illegal immigrant population had declined by 1.6 million over this time period.
Our report acknowledged the theoretical possibility that the observed declines might be an artifact of immigrants refusing to take part in the survey because they fear the current administration’s stepped-up enforcement efforts. Several media reports quoted others making the same critique.
However, there is as yet no evidence of this.
Home Steven A. Camarota Is the Apparent Decline in the Immigrant Population Real?
Is the Apparent Decline in the Immigrant Population Real?
There is no evidence so far that immigrants have stopped responding to the CPS
By Steven A. Camarota on August 20, 2025
On August 12 my colleague Karen Zeigler and I released a widely cited report showing that the foreign-born population (legal and illegal immigrants combined) had declined by 2.2 million from January of this year to July. The analysis was based on the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS), which is collected by the Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Using the same data, we also estimated that the illegal immigrant population had declined by 1.6 million over this time period.
Our report acknowledged the theoretical possibility that the observed declines might be an artifact of immigrants refusing to take part in the survey because they fear the current administration’s stepped-up enforcement efforts. Several media reports quoted others making the same critique.
