An analysis of census data by the Pew Research Center found that between January and June, the foreign-born population declined by nearly 1.5 million.
For the first time in decades, more immigrants are leaving the United States than arriving, a new study finds, an early indication that President Trump's hard-line immigration agenda is leading people to depart — whether through deportation or by choice.
An analysis of new census data released on Thursday by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found that between January and June, the foreign-born population in the United States — both lawful and unlawful residents — declined by nearly 1.5 million. In June, the country was home to 51.9 million immigrants, down from 53.3 million six months earlier.
Officials from the Trump administration have applauded the net outflow, asserting that pressures on government services have eased and that job markets have rebounded. And some supporters of the immigration crackdown say it hasn't gone far enough.
But experts predict looming negative economic and demographic consequences for the United States if the trend persists. Immigrants are a critical work force in many sectors, and the country's reliance on them is growing as more baby boomers retire
Despite the study's findings, Kevin Lynn, executive director of the Institute for Sound Public Policy, which advocates for less immigration, said that foreign workers who enter lawfully continue to pour into the United States and undermine Americans.
Net migration — the difference between the number of immigrants arriving and departing — has turned negative, a shift that the chief Pew demographer, Jeffrey Passel, called a "demographic certainty" so far in 2025. His team's analysis did not calculate a separate number for undocumented immigrants, who seem likely to represent the largest number of departures, because heightened enforcement probably diminished immigrants' participation in the census survey that was used to make estimates, he said.
Whether negative net migration becomes a lasting phenomenon depends on how far the Trump administration goes to achieve its goals, experts say, but the Pew findings echo trends identified by other recent studies.
