CHANGING REGION

Mexicans No Longer Majority of Undocumented Immigrants in the U.S.

For the first time in half a century, Mexicans make up less than 50 percent of the total.

Mexicans no longer make up the majority of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., according to a new study from the Pew Research Center. More undocumented Mexicans have left the U.S. than arrived in recent years, bringing the number of undocumented individuals from Mexico down to 4.9 million out of 10.5 million total, as of 2017.

The decrease in the number of undocumented Mexican immigrants has also resulted in a drop in the United States’ overall undocumented population, with the amount falling from 6.9 million to 4.9 million between 2007 and 2017. Mexicans still remain the largest subgroup from one particular country, but the 2017 numbers mark the first time they do not comprise more than 50 percent since an immigration boom began a half century ago.

During the 10-year period surveyed, undocumented immigrants from Asia and Central America saw the biggest boost in numbers, with increases in 130,000 people from the former and 400,000 from the latter.