ACS data shows declining population growth from immigration to US

In recent analysis of new census data released from the American Community Survey, William Frey, chief demographer at the Brookings Institution reports that the U.S. population gained immigrants at the slowest pace in a decade in 2018, which experts attribute to the administration’s restriction-oriented policies. In total, 200,000 immigrants joined the U.S. population in 2018, according to Frey. Randy Capps, the director of United States research for the Migration Policy Institute commented that the data indicates “what you would expect if it became more difficult for some immigrants to get to the U.S. and others found the country less welcoming.” The report shows that immigration from Central America, China, and India has declined. At the same time, U.S. universities are reporting steep drops in international students from China.

The NY Times reports on reactions: “It’s remarkable,” said David Bier, an immigration expert at the Cato Institute, of the 2018 numbers. “This is something that really hasn’t happened since the Great Recession. This should be very concerning to the administration that its policies are scaring people away.”

An administration official said it was impossible to comment without seeing the details of the analysis.

MHC