The immigration debate in the United States often focuses on illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border, but these figures do not reflect what happens to migrants who stay in the country.
An analysis by The Washington Post of over 4.1 million U.S. immigration court records from the past decade shows a population that was once predominantly Mexican and Central American but has recently become more global. The data reveals that fewer migrants have entered the country than have been apprehended at the border. Those who have cleared that first hurdle and are still facing possible deportation have spread out across every U.S. state.
The immigration court data from the past decade, the most detailed publicly available information on where migrants have settled, documents two notable surges in case filings, with a slowdown during the pandemic. The second, larger group reflects a spike in illegal entries since 2021, with migrants from around the world crossing the border in unprecedented numbers. They are fleeing poverty and repression at home, attracted by a strong U.S. labor market and perceptions of weaker border enforcement under President Biden.
Until 2014, adults from Mexico and Central America accounted for most border crossers, according to U.S. Border Patrol apprehension data. More families and children then began arriving, often following the same dangerous routes. Many were escaping gang violence in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Over the past three years, border agents have observed a more global shift.
Migrants from Venezuela have significantly contributed to this surge. Nearly 8 million people have left Venezuela since President Nicolás Maduro came to power in 2013, with many initially fleeing to other South American countries. They have crossed into the United States in record numbers since 2021. These new arrivals often lack family in the U.S., making them more reliant on shelters in cities like New York and Chicago. U.S. authorities have limited ability to deport them due to strained relations with the Maduro government.
Illegal border crossings by Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans have also increased in recent years, driven by worsening conditions in those countries and limitations on U.S. deportation flights. The number of illegal entries from these nations began to decline in 2023 after Biden introduced a legal pathway for them through a U.S. sponsor.
Mexicans were the largest group crossing the U.S. southern border from the 1980s through the 2000s. Migration from Mexico decreased significantly in the late 2000s but has rebounded in recent years, according to immigration court data.
From 2014 to 2020, migrants from outside Mexico and Central America, known as “extra-continentals,” accounted for 19 percent of immigration court cases. In the last four years, extra-continentals have risen to 53 percent of all court cases, arriving from countries such as India, China, Colombia, and Mauritania. They are part of the largest displacement of people worldwide since World War II.
These migrants often have complex asylum claims and, due to bureaucratic and diplomatic challenges, are among the most difficult to deport if they do not qualify for protection. Many are released into the U.S. with a pending court date that may be years away.
Some migrants fear for their lives if sent home, having risked their lives crossing oceans or jungles in search of a better future. Asylum claims are based on fleeing persecution, not simply seeking prosperity.
Immigration judges are processing decisions at a record pace, but cases involving violence and persecution can take years to resolve. This means many new immigrants live in long-term uncertainty even as they become integrated into American society.
Economists argue that migrants have helped make the U.S. post-COVID economy one of the strongest in the world. However, the country remains divided over the costs and benefits of these new arrivals, a debate intensified by the current presidential campaign.
Biden tightened border restrictions to limit asylum claims after former president and presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump rallied Republicans to defeat a bipartisan bill that would have expanded immigration enforcement. Trump blames Biden for encouraging mass migration and pledges to close the border and deploy U.S. troops for deportations if elected in November.