Illegal immigration has fueled the U.S. foreign-born population to 49.5 million, a number that accounts for 15% of the population in the country, according to analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) published Thursday.
Foreign-born estimates earlier provided by the Census Bureau showed the U.S. wouldn't hit 15% until 2033, according to CIS.
CIS showed that the foreign-born population has increased by 137,000 per month since President Joe Biden took office, a number CIS called "unprecedented." By comparison, the foreign-born population grew 42,000 per month under former President Donald Trump. The count under Biden dwarfs that of former two-term Democrat President Barack Obama (68,000 per month).
The 4.5 million increase of foreign-born since January 2021 also includes 2.5 million in illegal immigrants, according to the CIS analysis.
Key to CIS' findings is that the 4.5 million represents a net change, meaning, "significantly more than 4.5 million people had to have arrived from abroad for it to grow this much." CIS said the actual number of arrivals was likely closer to 5.6 million from January 2021 through last month, though that's at a 90% confidence level.
The influx has strained border states and metropolitan areas that have Democrat mayors and governors losing patience with the Biden administration's immigration policy of allowing asylum-seekers to venture anywhere they wish while they wait for hearings that are backlogged.
The 4.5 million in arrivals is larger than the individual populations of 25 U.S. states.
Also, a net figure is the 2.5 million rise in illegal individuals. CIS says the number is possibly as high as 2.7 million since Biden took office.
Biden's campaign promise of curtailing "immigration enforcement" has "helped spur more illegal immigration," CIS said.
According to CIS estimates, at this current rate the foreign-born population would likely hit 59 million — 17.3% of the U.S. population — at the end of a would-be Biden second term in 2028.
"Adding so many people to the country so fast may please employers and immigration advocacy groups, but any serious discussion of immigration policy has to grapple with these numbers and the implications they have for American society," CIS wrote.
CIS provided its analysis based on the Census Bureau's Current Population Report, or household survey, that was published Nov. 9.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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