The topic of immigration often brings up some strong opinions, but what’s the real story when it comes to the numbers? A recent in-depth report from Pew Research sheds light on where unauthorized immigrants are living and working in the United States. With the total unauthorized immigrant population hitting a record 14 million in 2023, the data shows some interesting, and perhaps surprising, shifts in where these individuals are settling and the jobs they are taking.
Forget what you think you know. The landscape of immigrant labor in the U.S. is changing. While certain states have always been magnets for new arrivals, others are seeing huge increases. Let's break down which states have the largest unauthorized immigrant workforces and what industries they are powering.
Historical Context: How Things Have Changed
Back in 1990, most unauthorized immigrants lived in just six states: California, Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois, and New Jersey. These places made up 80% of the total. They were the main focus during national debates and often shaped the country's view on immigration.
But things have shifted since then. By 2023, those same six states made up only 56% of the total. That's a big drop and means that a lot more unauthorized immigrants are settling in other parts of the country. Now, more small towns, new cities, and different states are experiencing new social and economic changes because of this wider spread.
The Big Six: Where Most Unauthorized Immigrants Live Now
Here are the six states with the largest numbers in 2023, based on Pew and Axios data:
- California: 2.3 million
- Texas: 2.1 million
- Florida: 1.6 million
- New York: 825,000
- New Jersey: 600,000
- Illinois: 550,000
California has usually had the most, but Texas is now much closer in numbers. In fact, back in 2007 California had 1.2 million more unauthorized immigrants than Texas. Now, the difference is just 200,000.
States Gaining the Fastest
Even though these six states still have the biggest shares, there’s lots of action elsewhere. From 2021 through 2023, 32 states saw their numbers of unauthorized immigrants go up, which is a new record for how spread out the population is becoming.
Some of the biggest increases were:
- Florida: up 700,000 (the biggest jump)
- Texas: up 450,000
- California: up 425,000
- New York: up 230,000
Other states like New Jersey, Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Ohio each had increases of at least 75,000. It’s clear that this isn’t just happening in a few big states anymore.
States like Tennessee, South Carolina, Idaho, and Connecticut are also seeing fast percentage growth, even if their numbers are smaller. In eight states, plus Washington, D.C., unauthorized immigrants make up at least 5% of the total population (Florida, Nevada, New Jersey, Maryland, California, Connecticut, Texas, and New York).
This wider spread means that more places are seeing changes in their economies and communities, and more state and local leaders are trying new policies to deal with those changes.
Where Unauthorized Immigrants Work: Labor Force by State
In 2023, unauthorized immigrants made up 9.7 million people in the U.S. workforce. That’s 5.6% of all workers in the country. In a few states, their share is even higher:
- Nevada: 9% of all workers
- Florida: 9%
- New Jersey: 9%
- Texas: 9%
- California: 8%
- Maryland: 7%
- Massachusetts: 7%
That means that in some of these places, almost 1 in 10 workers is unauthorized. In Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, and Montana, by contrast, it’s only about 1% or less. This shows how some places rely much more on immigrant labor than others.
Economic Impact in Different States
California
California, the most populated state in the U.S., has long depended on unauthorized immigrants, especially for farming and construction. According to CalMatters:
- In 2023, unauthorized immigrants were 8% of California’s workforce.
- The Central Valley, which grows a huge part of the nation’s fruits and veggies, would not run the same without these workers.
- Jobs in Los Angeles, especially in hotels, cleaning, stores, and restaurants, often rely on immigrants, many of whom don’t have legal status.
Lately, California has also faced stricter federal immigration enforcement and debates about what benefits unauthorized immigrants should get, like health insurance or driver’s licenses.
Texas
Texas attracts lots of new arrivals because its construction, oil, and farming industries always need workers.
- In Texas, some construction sites have a quarter or more of workers who are unauthorized immigrants.
- Big cities like Dallas and Houston have grown fast thanks in part to immigrant labor.
- The need for workers means businesses often lobby for more flexible immigration laws.
However, Texas is also known for strong debates over border security and how to deal with immigration at the state and local level.
Florida
Florida’s economy, including hotels, farming, tourism, and restaurants, depends heavily on immigrant labor.
- In 2023, Axios reported that unauthorized immigrants made up 7.1% of Florida’s population, the highest percentage in the nation.
- In cities like Miami and Orlando, many seasonal and year-round jobs are filled by immigrants without legal status.
- Orange groves, sugar farms, and construction in South Florida all depend on these workers.
Florida has had both new policies to help unauthorized immigrants (like expanding driver’s licenses) and strict new rules to limit their rights, which has led to lots of local debate.
New York & New Jersey
In New York and New Jersey, the tradition of being immigrant gateways continues.
- In New York City, many restaurant, hotel, and delivery jobs are held by immigrants from all over the world, including many who aren’t in the U.S. legally.
- New Jersey relies on immigrant labor in its ports, warehouses, and construction.
- In 2023, New Jersey had 600,000 unauthorized immigrants, one of the highest rates per capita in the nation.
Illinois
Chicago and other cities in Illinois have always been big destinations for immigrants.
- In 2023, Illinois had about 550,000 unauthorized immigrants.
- Many work in factories, food processing, hotels, and trucking jobs.
Which Industries Depend Most on Unauthorized Immigrants?
Construction
- About 15% of construction workers in the U.S. are unauthorized immigrants. This number is even higher in some states.
- In jobs like roofing and painting, up to one-quarter or more of the workers might not have legal status.
- Without them, construction of homes and buildings would slow down.
Agriculture
- In places like California’s Central Valley, many farm workers are unauthorized immigrants.
- Nationally, 14% of all agricultural workers are unauthorized, but in some regions, it’s much more.
- Meat and poultry plants in the Midwest and South also depend on this workforce.
Hotels, Restaurants, and Tourism
- In Florida, Nevada, and California, industries like restaurants, hotels, and theme parks depend on unauthorized immigrants for essential jobs like cleaning, cooking, and maintenance.
Other Services
- Unauthorized immigrants do important work in landscaping, auto repair, janitorial services, and more.
- Pew says that about 24% of farm workers and 19% of construction workers nationwide are unauthorized immigrants.
Policy Changes and Their Effects
Changing Policies
Recent years have brought lots of changes in national and state laws about immigration. Rules were made looser and then stricter again. When enforcement increased, some immigrants left the country or were deported, and the total number of immigrants in the U.S. fell for the first time in decades.
Even so, many businesses say they need unauthorized immigrants to fill jobs, especially when it’s hard to find enough workers.
Access to Services
States like California, New York, and New Jersey let unauthorized immigrants get driver’s licenses, some health care, and sometimes even help with schooling. But these policies are debated, and other states have instead made it harder to access those things.
Taxes
Even though unauthorized immigrants can’t get many government benefits, they still pay taxes. In 2021, they contributed over $11.7 billion in state and local taxes, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
More Diversity Among Unauthorized Immigrants
Years ago, most unauthorized immigrants came from Mexico. But this has changed. By 2023, nearly 70% of new arrivals came from places like Central America, South America, Asia, and the Caribbean.
- Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, Nicaragua, India, and Haiti are now sending more immigrants.
- Because of this, many areas where people didn’t used to hear Spanish or other languages are having to adjust. Schools and hospitals are hiring more translators and ESL teachers.
The Changing Face of America
Today’s America doesn’t just have a few places with lots of immigrants. More small towns and new cities across the country are seeing new faces—and with them, new challenges and opportunities.
- More communities now have large immigrant populations.
- States are trying different policies, with some making life easier for unauthorized immigrants and others making it tougher.
- Business owners in construction, farming, and the restaurant business often say they need immigrants to keep their companies running.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, there were about 14 million unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S.
- More than half of them lived in California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, or Illinois.
- All parts of the country are seeing growth, not just traditional big states.
- Unauthorized immigrants play a big part in the economy, especially in construction, farming, and hospitality.
- They also pay a lot in taxes, even if they can’t get most government benefits.
- The countries they come from are much more varied now.
- States are handling things in different ways, leading to lots of debates about the best path forward.
If you live in Nevada, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, or even the Midwest, there’s a good chance that unauthorized immigrants are having an impact on your daily life: helping build homes, serve food, or harvest crops.
Understanding these trends and looking past the arguments is important for anyone who wants to know where our country is headed next.
