How Many Illegal Aliens Are There?

The number of illegal aliens in the United States dropped by about 15 percent, to 13.5 million, during the first year and half of the Trump administration, according to a study by the Center for Immigration Studies.

But why do we trust that number? Could it be 30 million? Why not 100 million?

In this episode of Parsing Immigration Policy, host Mark Krikorian interviews two Center experts, Research Director Steven Camarota and Resident Scholar Jason Richwine, who explain what the Center’s population estimates are, how they are arrived at, their limitations, and why much higher estimates cannot be correct.

The two guests also discuss a second recent report finding a dramatic increase in the number of immigrants from predominantly Muslim countries in the years since 9/11, many of which are either hostile to the U.S. or struggle with powerful terrorist movements.

In his closing commentary, Mark Krikorian cites a recent Washington Post article discussing the escalation of third-country deportations to explain why this policy is needed for the integrity of the U.S. immigration system in the long run.

Host

Mark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Guests

Steven Camarota is the Director of Research at the Center for Immigration Studies.

Jason Richwine is a Resident Scholar at the Center for Immigration Studies.

Links

Census Bureau Survey Shows Total Foreign-Born Down 2.9 Million

Illegal Immigrant Population Was About 13.5 Million in July 2026

Since 9/11, the Number of Immigrants from the Muslim World Has Grown by 1.8 Million

How Trump turned a refugee bureau into a $410 million deportation operation

Intro Montage

Voices in the opening montage:

• Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.
• Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.
• President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.
• Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.
• Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.
• Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.
• Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.
• Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.
• Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.
• Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.
• Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".