[updated September 8, 2017 to include the latest population estimates of Asian undocumented. Additional infographics can be found here

BY KARTHICK RAMAKRISHNAN AND SONO SHAH

The issue of undocumented immigration has dominated news coverage and policy discussions, with the Trump administration passing an executive order on interior enforcement in early 2017 and, more recently, threatening to suspend federal funding to sanctuary jurisdictions and announcing an end to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). How might Asian immigrant communities be affected?

According to the latest available estimates, there are about 1.7 million Asian undocumented immigrants in the United States. To put those numbers in perspective, they account for about 16%, or 1 out of every 6, undocumented immigrants in the United States. This also means that about 1 out of every 7 Asian immigrants is undocumented.

The Center for Migration Studies (CMS) and and the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) have published the most recent estimates of the Asian undocumented population in the United States. The total number of Asian undocumented ranges from 1.46 million (MPI, 2014) to 1.74 million (CMS, 2015). The tables below are from the Center for Migration Studies 2015 estimates.

National Estimates, 2015

Group Population (2015) Share of Total (%) 1. Total Undocumented 11,042,503 2. Asian Undocumented 1,737,635 15.70 3. Total Asian Foreign Born 11,519,210 4. Asian Undocumented 1,737,635 15.08

Importantly, the Asian undocumented population has more than tripled within 15 years, from the INS estimate of 500,000 Asian unauthorized in 2000 to the CMS estimates of over 1.7 million in 2015. By contrast, the Mexican unauthorized population grew by only 21% during the same period, from about 4.8 million in 2000 to 5.8 million in 2015.

Country of Origin, 2015

India and China account for the largest share of the Asian undocumented (26% and 22%, respectively), followed by the Philippines (14%), South Korea (10%), Vietnam (7%), and Pakistan (3%). The remaining countries from Asia account for 17% of the Asian undocumented population.

State Estimates, 2015

According to both CMS and MPI estimates, California, New York, New Jersey, Texas and Illinois are the states with the largest number of Asian undocumented, with MPI and CMS only differing on the order of New Jersey and Texas for the third and fourth largest states. The 2015 estimates from Center for Migration Studies (CMS) are provided below. The share of the Asian immigrant population that is undocumented varies widely across states, with states like Georgia, Colorado, New Jersey, and Hawaii having relatively high shares of Asian immigrants who are undocumented.

State Name Asian Undocumented (2015) Asian Foreign Born (2015) Undocumented Share of Asian Immigrants Alabama 7,009 42,381 16.54 Alaska 5,110 31,725 16.11 Arizona 23,099 147,893 15.62 Arkansas 4,996 30,881 16.18 California 463,310 3,572,239 12.97 Colorado 20,687 104,144 19.86 Connecticut 18,907 112,000 16.88 Delaware 6,210 26,686 23.27 Florida 56,987 382,569 14.90 Georgia 54,206 269,585 20.11 Hawaii 37,444 199,065 18.81 Idaho 1,989 13,850 14.36 Illinois 71,403 464,109 15.38 Indiana 17,364 99,651 17.42 Iowa 6,936 48,532 14.29 Kansas 9,897 57,540 17.20 Kentucky 4,693 42,912 10.94 Louisiana 9,774 51,407 19.01 Maryland 35,124 266,548 13.18 Massachusetts 43,946 297,513 14.77 Michigan 32,515 207,511 15.67 Minnesota 18,389 162,681 11.30 Mississippi 2,004 19,532 10.26 Missouri 12,522 81,430 15.38 Nebraska 6,492 30,026 21.62 Nevada 22,528 149,543 15.06 New Hampshire 4,467 23,894 18.70 New Jersey 115,680 600,457 19.27 New Mexico 5,588 18,534 30.15 New York 166,806 1,181,787 14.11 North Carolina 30,033 184,252 16.30 North Dakota 1,553 8,412 18.46 Ohio 26,994 168,917 15.98 Oklahoma 10,736 55,292 19.42 Oregon 15,075 110,382 13.66 Pennsylvania 53,096 296,952 17.88 Rhode Island 3,775 22,687 16.64 South Carolina 6,609 50,291 13.14 South Dakota 5,152 9,149 56.31 Tennessee 12,880 75,042 17.16 Texas 148,612 869,716 17.09 Utah 7,014 43,073 16.28 Vermont 1,079 6,204 17.39 Virginia 58,218 363,632 16.01 Washington 58,184 382,131 15.23 West Virginia 1,256 9,725 12.92 Wisconsin 12,611 90,038 14.01

Finally, in most states, Asians make up relatively small portions of their total undocumented population. Still, there are six states where Asian immigrants account for a third or more of the undocumented resident population.

State Name Total Undocumented (2015) Asian Undocumented (2015) Asian Share of Undocumented Alabama 61,865 7,009 11.30 Alaska 7,230 5,110 70.70 Arizona 256,286 23,099 9.00 Arkansas 60,205 4,996 8.30 California 2,598,870 463,310 17.80 Colorado 181,712 20,687 11.40 Connecticut 124,728 18,907 15.20 Delaware 26,784 6,210 23.20 Florida 745,250 56,987 7.60 Georgia 361,421 54,206 15.00 Hawaii 47,169 37,444 79.40 Idaho 33,163 1,989 6.00 Illinois 515,686 71,403 13.80 Indiana 99,326 17,364 17.50 Iowa 45,555 6,936 15.20 Kansas 78,322 9,897 12.60 Kentucky 45,175 4,693 10.40 Louisiana 62,164 9,774 15.70 Maryland 239,787 35,124 14.60 Massachusetts 154,395 43,946 28.50 Michigan 96,178 32,515 33.80 Minnesota 96,909 18,389 19.00 Mississippi 24,342 2,004 8.20 Missouri 54,856 12,522 22.80 Nebraska 38,751 6,492 16.80 Nevada 175,947 22,528 12.80 New Hampshire 11,541 4,467 38.70 New Jersey 450,516 115,680 25.70 New Mexico 73,942 5,588 7.60 New York 806,366 166,806 20.70 North Carolina 315,392 30,033 9.50 North Dakota 2,184 1,553 71.10 Ohio 85,971 26,994 31.40 Oklahoma 100,901 10,736 10.60 Oregon 117,066 15,075 12.90 Pennsylvania 162,075 53,096 32.80 Rhode Island 21,633 3,775 17.50 South Carolina 78,820 6,609 8.40 South Dakota 11,810 5,152 43.60 Tennessee 120,250 12,880 10.70 Texas 1,758,199 148,612 8.50 Utah 94,711 7,014 7.40 Vermont 3,765 1,079 28.70 Virginia 247,893 58,218 23.50 Washington 246,074 58,184 23.60 West Virginia 1,921 1,256 65.40 Wisconsin 79,206 12,611 15.90

These data reveal the extent to which Asian immigrant communities are affected, nationally and in various states. Hopefully, this information can also inform better policy decisions and philanthropic decisions affecting the undocumented immigrant population in the United States.

Methodology

Estimating the undocumented population is a complex challenge that requires researchers to make assumptions about certain groups and behaviors in order to take existing data to generate population estimates. Both sets of estimates rely on data from the American Community Survey and then make statistical adjustments to account for sampling and response bias. Click below to learn more about the methodology used by Migration Policy Institute and Center for Migration Studies