The legal and illegal population of foreign-born immigrants living in America will break a 100-year-old record in just six years — and will continue to smash records for the rest of the century, according to a new analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

Already 13.5 percent of the U.S. population, immigrants will surge to 15 percent in 2023, according to Steven Camarota, the director of research for the Center for Immigration Studies.

At a conference to discuss the impact of immigration on public schools, he said "the share will hit 15 percent in just six years and that will surpass the all time high in the United States reached in 1890."

And if unchecked, he added, "the share is projected to increase throughout much of this century."

The surge comes as President Trump is planning to cut the number of illegal immigrants in the country and crossing the border, but so far hasn't indicated if he will brake the larger number of legal immigrants entering the U.S.

It also takes place with a nation divided over what it expects of immigrants, with liberals eager for them to embrace their own heritage and others hopeful for immigrants assimilate into America.

The CIS panel discussion focused on assimilation and a report from Camarota showing how huge concentrations of immigrant students have overtaken the population of native born American school children in many urban and suburban areas.

"In a very real sense, America is headed into unchartered territory on immigration, the share who are immigrants who are foreign born will be at a level we have never seen," he said.

When it comes to what the nation expects of its immigrants, Camarota cited those who believe in multiculturalism.

"The idea is that there is no American culture. Immigrants instead should retain their identity and America should accommodate the new arrivals rather than the new arrivals largely accommodating themselves to American culture," he said.

He noted that many Americans have a "robust idea of assimilation," and even polls show that immigrants should adopt American culture.

But in that divide, overshadowed by political correctness, he concluded, "There no longer exists a clear understanding of what we want from immigrants."

Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com