By Nicole Ward and Jeanne Batalova

The United States is in the midst of an historic period in its immigration history, facing a changing composition of the immigrant population, pandemic-related pent-up demand for permanent and temporary visas resulting in extensive backlogs, record pressure at the U.S.-Mexico border, and somewhat decreasing public support for expanded immigration. Legal permanent and temporary immigration rose in 2022 after a few years of chill brought about by the COVID-19 public-health crisis and the Trump administration’s restrictive policies and rhetoric. Amid crises around the world, the Biden administration extended or expanded Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for certain eligible immigrants already in the United States and announced special humanitarian parole programs allowing some migrants from several countries to enter the United States and stay temporarily. At the southwest border, record numbers of migrant encounters in 2022 accompanied court orders preventing the Biden administration from revoking the Title 42 public-health order authorizing the rapid expulsion of asylum seekers and other migrants. The administration has proposed a revised system to govern asylum at the border, but as of this writing the situation remains in flux. To promote orderly arrival and processing of asylum seekers and expedite the expulsion of unauthorized migrants, in January 2023 the Biden administration announced another humanitarian parole program to include up to 30,000 authorized newcomers from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela every month if they have a U.S. sponsor. This program was followed by controversial proposed changes to U.S. asylum system. Worldwide, the United States is home to more international migrants than any other country, and more than the next four countries—Germany, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the United Kingdom—combined, according to the UN Population Division’s mid-2020 data. While the U.S. population represents about 5 percent of the total world population, close to 20 percent of all global migrants reside in the United States. This Spotlight offers information about the approximately 45.3 million immigrants in the United States as of 2021, by compiling the most authoritative and current data available. It provides an overview of historic immigration trends in the United States, sociodemographic information about who is immigrating, through which channels, and how many immigrants become naturalized citizens. It also provides data on the government’s enforcement actions and adjudication efforts to process visas.

Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute, 2023. 34p.

By The Mixed Migration Centre

This snapshot examines the use of smuggling among Cambodians and Laotians on their journey to Thailand. It examines respondents’ reasons for leaving their country of origin, access to smuggling services, and protection incidents experienced en route, as well as the involvement of state officials in smuggling between Cambodia-Thailand and Lao PDR-Thailand.

Denmark: Mixed Migration Centre, 2023. 12p.

By The American Immigration Council

New research from the American Immigration Council shows that immigrants in Santa Fe County paid over $122 million in taxes and held over $365 million in spending power in 2019. The new report, New Americans in Santa Fe County, was prepared in partnership with the City of Santa Fe’s Office of Economic Development and Somos Un Pueblo Unido. 

The report also features four profiles of community members: Ana Magaña, Iris Madely Alay, Verónica Velázquez, and Gretel Barrita. 

In 2019, more than 16,000 immigrants lived in Santa Fe County, accounting for 11.1 percent of the total population. Immigrants represented 15.2 percent of its working age population and 15.0 percent of its employed labor force, despite making up 11.1 percent of the county’s overall population. 

Washington, DC: American Immigration Council, 2023. 11p.

By Robert Warren

In 2021, the undocumented population residing in the United States (US) increased slightly to 10.3 million, compared to 10.2 million the previous year. The gradual decline or near-zero growth of this population has continued for more than a decade. However, the large increases in apprehensions at the southern border in recent years, along with continued legislative gridlock in Congress, could portend a new era of growth of this population. Unfortunately, the data needed to determine whether the population will enter a period of growth after 2021 — or whether the era of near-zero growth will continue — will not be available for at least a year or two. The most accurate demographic estimates of the undocumented population are derived from data collected in the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Estimates of the size of the undocumented population in 2022 will not be available until early 2024.

This report focuses on the most significant trend in the undocumented population in the past decade — the remarkable decline of 1.9 million in the undocumented population from Mexico from 2011 to 2021. The decline for Mexico in this period was 600,000 more than the total population increase from the seven countries (in order) with the fastest growing US undocumented populations: Guatemala, Honduras, India, Venezuela, El Salvador, Brazil, and China. This paper finds that:

• The long-term decline, or near-zero growth, of the total undocumented population that began in 2008 continued in 2021.

• The percent of undocumented residents in the total US population declined from 3.8 percent in 2011 to 3.1 percent in 2021.

• The undocumented population from Mexico declined from 6.4 million in 2011 to 4.4 million in 2021, a drop of 1.9 million in 10 years.

• A total of 2.9 million, or 47 percent, of the US undocumented population from Mexico in 2011 had left the undocumented population by 2021.

• The drop in the undocumented population from Mexico from 2011 to 2021 occurred nationwide, and the decline affected the undocumented population in nearly every state.

• The fastest growing undocumented populations by country in the last 10 years were from Guatemala, Honduras, India, El Salvador, Venezuela, and Brazil. The combined undocumented populations from these six countries grew by 1.2 million.

• Countries that had declining populations after 2011 included Poland, Peru, Ecuador, Korea, and Philippines, in addition to the large drop for Mexico.

• California had the largest decline in undocumented residents — 665,000 from 2011 to 2021. The undocumented population from Mexico living in California during this period declined by 720,000.

• The combined undocumented population in California, New York, and Illinois fell by more than one million from 2021 to 2011.

Journal on Migration and Human Security Volume 0: Ahead of Print, 2023.

By Peter J. Meyer

U.S. policy toward Central America has been a subject of significant debate and oversight over the past decade as Congress has sought to address the underlying factors driving migration from the region to the United States. Recent Trends According to a model developed at the University of Texas at Austin, an estimated 377,000 people, on average, left Northern Central America (see Figure 1) annually from FY2018 to FY2021, with the majority bound for the United States. Flows have varied from year to year, with an estimated 651,000 people leaving the region in FY2019, followed by 92,000 in FY2020, and 487,000 in FY2021. Surveys conducted in 2020 found many potential migrants had postponed their plans in the midst of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic but intended to undertake their journeys once governments lifted crossborder travel restrictions.

In FY2022, U.S. Border Patrol encountered nearly 521,000 foreign nationals from Northern Central America at the U.S. Southwest border, including 199,000 Hondurans, 228,000 Guatemalans, and 93,000 Salvadorans (see Figure 2). The Border Patrol apprehended 177,000 of those individuals under Title 8 of the U.S. Code (immigration) and expelled nearly 344,000 under Title 42 of the U.S. Code (public health). According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the use of Title 42 corresponded with an increase in recidivism, with repeat encounters accounting for 26.5% of total encounters in FY2020 and FY2021, up from an average of 11.8% in FY2015-FY2019. Of those encountered from Northern Central America in FY2022, about 22% were unaccompanied minors, 24% were traveling with family members, and 54% were single adults.

Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2023. 3p.

By Anna-Greta Pekkarinen, Anniina Jokinen

TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS is largely a hidden form of criminali ty. As an example, it has been estimated in Finland that up to 90 per cent of human trafficking is undetected (Yle 23.3.2021). The overall picture of the phenomenon is bound to be limited because of this, and because the offenders continuously seek new methods and routes for their operations. Since the start of the ELECT THB-project, unforeseen events with a global impact have taken place. The COVID-19 pandemic affected the movement of people and potentially led to changes in the modus operandi of the perpetrators, as well as to changes in the detection of trafficking and exploitation. However, not much is yet known of the longer-term impacts of the pandemic on modus operan di or routes used by traffickers and facilitators. Furthermore, the geopolitical landscape of Europe changed rapidly in 2022 as a result of the escalation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In light of the ongoing war, particular attention has been paid in this report to the risk that Ukrainian refugees face of exploitation and trafficking. The countries covered in this report share similarities but also have their differences. Finland is primarily a country of destination in terms of human trafficking, whereas Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Ukraine are countries of origin, transit and destination. There are also differences in the size of the population of these countries, in their labour markets and in the social protection measures that are in place. The profiles of typical victims vary between the countries, ranging from their own citizens to labour migrants, asylum-seekers and undocumented migrants. Regarding labour exploitation, it has been established in all of the countries that migrant workers in particular may face exploitative recruitment and employment practices, especially in low-paid, low-skilled jobs. Perpetrators use different legal and illegal ways to conceal their activities, some of which are presented in this report. As for sexual exploitation, the role of the internet and technology has become increasingly important. This is all the more true as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has restricted travel and in-person contacts and allowed for new ways of recruiting, controlling and exploiting vulnerable persons.

Helsinki: HEUNI, 2023. 94p.

By The International Labour Organization (ILO), Walk Free, and International Organization for Migration

Modern slavery is the very antithesis of social justice and sustainable development. The 2021 Global Estimates indicate there are 50 million people in situations of modern slavery on any given day, either forced to work against their will or in a marriage that they were forced into. This number translates to nearly one of every 150 people in the world. The estimates also indicate that situations of modern slavery are by no means transient – entrapment in forced labour can last years, while in most cases forced marriage is a life sentence. And sadly, the situation is not improving. The 2021 Global Estimates show that millions more men, women, and children have been forced to work or marry in the period since the previous estimates were released in 2017.

Geneva: International Labour Organization (ILO), Walk Free, and International Organization for Migration, 2022. 144p.

By European Migration Network

Background and rationale for the study. Trafficking in human beings is a crime against people that can take various forms, such as sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery and servitude-related practices, as well as the removal of organs, all of which constitute a grave violation of the victim’s fundamental rights. Trafficking in human beings is addressed under various EU and international instruments. One of the key priorities of the new EU Strategy on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings 2021-2025 is protecting, supporting and empowering victims, including their early identification. Working with relevant EU agencies is fundamental, as is engaging in cooperation and partnerships against trafficking with non-EU countries of origin and transit, and with organisations at regional and international level regarding the EU’s external relations policy.11 Between 2015 and 2020, more than 10 500 third-country national victims of trafficking in human beings were registered, with minors accounting for 8.5%, and sexual and labour exploitation representing approximately 75% of the cases. Trafficking in human beings is not only recognised as a highly profitable crime,12 but one with links to social development and security, migration, conflict and climate-induced displacement. The impact and cost of human trafficking on individuals and on political, economic and social systems is enormous. Given its clandestine nature and the myriad factors that may deter a victim 11 Renewed EU action plan against migrant smuggling (2021-2025),

Brussels, Belgium: Directorate General for Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission, 2022. 60p.

Edited by Joshua D. Freilich, Graeme R. Newman, S. Giora Shoham and Moshe Addad.

This was one of the first social science books to recognize migration as THE issue of the 21st century. The issue of immigration and crime in all of its many contexts and forms, is a problem which increasingly affects numerous countries throughout the world. In many countries, immigrants have been accused of disproportionate involvement in crime while, in others, immigrants are often claimed to be the victims of criminal offenders, as well as indifferent criminal justice systems. The subjects covered within this informative collection include the offending and victimization rates of immigrants and their dependants, institutional racism, human trafficking/smuggling and ethnic conflicts. In particular, the problems faced by female immigrants are addressed in detail. Whilst some papers look at the issues facing particular countries, such as Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, Israel and Turkey, others adopt a more comparative approach. Migration, Culture Conflict and Crime is an essential and compelling read for all those with a strong interest in this important area. Not only does it significantly advance our scientific knowledge concerning the relationship between immigration, crime and justice, but it also sets forth a number of proposals which, if implemented, could address many of the problems found in these areas. It is as relevant today as the day it was published.

NY. Harrow and Heston Publishers. 2012.