Q&A: How Pew Research Center estimates the number of unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S.

The Pew Research Center data on the undocumented immigrant population is widely considered to be the most accurate out there. Between 2021 and 2023, the number of unauthorized immigrants living in the United States grew from an estimated 10.5 million to 14 million, according to a Pew Research Center report. The 14 million is a new high.

In this Q&A, we speak with Senior Demographer Jeffrey S. Passel about how the Center estimates the number of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

I found this particular question and answer of particular interest:

"Why is it important to know how many unauthorized immigrants are in the country?

Unauthorized immigrants make up about 4% of the U.S. population. . . . Our estimates help provide insight into these factors, as well as how their population size has changed over time, where they’re from, where they live in the U.S. and how long they’ve been here.

One example of what we can learn from these estimates is that many U.S. families include both unauthorized immigrants and U.S. citizens. About 12 million people who are U.S. citizens or legal immigrants live in households with at least one unauthorized immigrant."