Center for Migration Studies: Understanding the U.S. Undocumented Population: New 2024 Estimates from CMS -- 14.6 million in 2024

On Tuesday, May 5, 2026 from 1:00-2:00pm ET, join the Center for Migration Studies (CMS) for a webinar on its new report, “Estimates of the Size and Composition of the Undocumented Immigrant Population in the United States: 2024,” and what the findings reveal about population growth, long-term settlement, and policy options. 

Forthcoming in the Journal on Migration and Human Security, the study offers one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date portraits of the undocumented population in the United States.

The new CMS estimates show the undocumented immigrant population reached 14.6 million in 2024, reflecting renewed growth since 2020. For the first time, the analysis also provides detailed data on immigrants with temporary or “liminal” statuses (including DACA recipients, TPS holders, asylum seekers, and other protections) who accounted for more than one-third of the population in 2024. Alongside shifting migration patterns, the findings highlight a population that is increasingly settled, with two-thirds living in the United States for at least five years, offering new insight into today’s immigration landscape and policy debates.

Featured Speakers

• Ryan Allen, Lead Author and Professor of Urban Planning at the University of Minnesota
• Robert Warren, Co-author and Senior Visiting Fellow, Center for Migration Studies
• Phillip Connor, Research Fellow at Princeton University’s Center for Migration and Development
• Ruth Wasem, Senior Fellow, Levin School of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University

The conversation will be moderated by Matthew Lisiecki, Senior Research and Policy Analyst for the Center for Migration Studies.