What state is deporting the most immigrants?

Editorial team Published on

Texas has recorded the highest number of deportations and ICE enforcement activities of any U.S. state.

Enforcement and Deportation Highs

  • Texas leads the nation in total deportations, border removals, and Immigration Detention Quick Facts due to its extensive international border and high volume of federal processing centers. Major processing sectors in cities like Laredo, El Paso, and Harlingen historically account for a large share of departures.
  • California and Texas alternate or rank near the top for pending immigration court cases and overall undocumented population numbers, but direct border enforcement and formal removal processing statistics position Texas ahead in total volume.
  • Other states with high overall immigrant populations and significant federal-local enforcement cooperation include Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana.

Which state has the biggest immigration problem?

Texas and California lead the United States in overall unauthorized immigrant populations and border enforcement impact, according to data from Pew Research Center and studies highlighted by outlets like Axios Chicago.

Whether a state has the "biggest" immigration challenge depends on how you measure it: total population, border crossings, or state policy responses.

Largest Populations

  • California: Hosts the largest total number of unauthorized immigrants in the country (estimated over 2 million).
  • Texas: Ranks second in total population but handles the highest volume of border crossings and arrivals.
  • Other Top States: Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois also host large shares of the nation's unauthorized immigrant population.

Enforcement and State Actions

  • Texas and Florida: Have enacted some of the most far-reaching state laws and resource commitments to local immigration enforcement and deterrence measures. Texas has also actively transported tens of thousands of arriving migrants to interior U.S. cities.
  • Interior Impacts: Major interior cities and states like New York, Illinois (Chicago), and Colorado (Denver) have faced severe fiscal and shelter capacity strains following the arrival of bused migrants.

What are the top 10 states with the most undocumented immigrants?

California and Texas lead the United States with the largest undocumented immigrant populations.

According to data from the Department of Homeland Security and the American Immigration Council, the top 10 states combined represent about 72% of the entire unauthorized immigrant population in the country.

Top 10 States

  • California
  • Texas
  • Florida
  • New Jersey
  • Illinois
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • Georgia
  • Washington
  • Arizona

What states are not working with ICE?

Several U.S. states and the District of Columbia limit, restrict, or prohibit local law enforcement and state agencies from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), functioning as sanctuary jurisdictions or enacting explicit bans on local 287(g) partnership agreements.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice Sanctuary Jurisdiction List and tracking by legal organizations like Bolts Magazine, the states and districts with statewide restrictions, executive directives, or sanctuary designations include:

  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Illinois
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Minnesota
  • New Jersey (enforced via executive directive)
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • Oregon
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
  • Washington

Note: The exact level of restriction varies by state, with some banning local jail contracts and data-sharing, while others focus specifically on prohibiting local police from acting as deputized immigration agents.

Which state is least friendly to immigrants?

Based on evaluations of state laws and policies affecting foreign-born residents, Texas and Florida frequently rank as the least friendly states for immigrants due to comprehensive state-level enforcement and anti-sanctuary measures.

Least Immigrant-Friendly States

  • Texas and Florida: According to analyses by groups like the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, both states score lowest on protective measures (around 1.95 out of 5) because they commit extensive state and local resources to immigration enforcement and restrict benefits for undocumented residents.
  • Indiana and Georgia: These states routinely rank near the bottom in national policy indexes due to restrictive laws, limited public health support for foreign-born residents, and broad anti-sanctuary legislation.
  • Alabama and Iowa: These states enforce comprehensive laws that mandate local agencies to cooperate heavily with federal immigration enforcement and deportation efforts.

You can review the specific criteria and legal breakdowns on the Immigrant Legal Resource Center policy map.

Over 10,000 Detained by ICE in Five Days as Deportation Crackdown Escalates

9 related questions found

Which state has the least illegal immigrants?

Vermont and West Virginia tie for having the lowest estimated number of unauthorized immigrants, with each state estimated to have around 5,000 residents.

State Details

  • Vermont: Estimates place the undocumented population at under 5,000, representing less than 0.1% of the total state population.
  • West Virginia: Data estimates roughly 5,000 undocumented immigrants live in the state, making up about 0.28% of its total population.
  • Data limitations: Smaller states with low overall populations often show the smallest absolute numbers, and exact counts can vary by data source and survey year.

What state has the most ICE agents?

Texas has the highest number of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests and overall enforcement presence by a large margin.

Enforcement Distribution

  • Texas: Leads the country, accounting for over 23% of total ICE arrests nationwide.
  • Florida: Ranks second, representing roughly 11% of national arrests and holding the highest number of 287(g) local law enforcement partnerships.
  • California: Ranks third in total volume of arrests, though local sanctuary policies mean fewer custodial handoffs from local jails.

Data tracked by organizations like the Prison Policy Initiative shows that high-activity states rely heavily on local jail cooperation to drive interior enforcement numbers.

What nationality is Ice deporting the most?

Mexican nationals are deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) more than any other nationality.

Top Deportation Nationalities

  • Mexico: Consistently accounts for the largest share of ICE arrests and deportations historically and in recent enforcement data.
  • Guatemala: Typically ranks as the second-most common country of citizenship for ICE removals.
  • Honduras: Frequently ranks third among deported and detained populations.
  • El Salvador: Follows closely as another primary country of origin for removal and enforcement actions.

What states are most affected by illegal immigration?

California and Texas are the states most affected by illegal immigration, housing the largest total populations of unauthorized immigrants in the country.

Data from research organizations like the Pew Research Center shows that unauthorized immigration is heavily concentrated in a small group of states.

States with the Highest Total Population

  • California: Leads the nation with an estimated 1.8 million to 2.6 million unauthorized immigrants.
  • Texas: Second largest total, with roughly 1.6 million to 2.1 million unauthorized residents.
  • Florida: Houses an estimated 1.2 million unauthorized immigrants.
  • New York: Home to approximately 650,000 unauthorized immigrants.
  • New Jersey: Contains around 475,000 unauthorized immigrants.
  • Illinois: Holds about 400,000 unauthorized immigrants.

States with the Highest Share of Population (Per Capita)

When measured as a percentage of the total state population, states with high proportions relative to their size include:

  • Florida
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • California
  • Texas

Who are the top 3 immigrants in the US?

The top three countries of origin for immigrants living in the United States are Mexico, India, and China.

According to data compiled by the Migration Policy Institute and the Pew Research Center, here is a breakdown of these top three groups:

  • Mexico: By far the largest source of U.S. immigrants, accounting for roughly 11 million people, or about 22% to 23% of the total foreign-born population.
  • India: The second-largest group, representing roughly 6% of all immigrants in the country (around 2.8 to 2.9 million people).
  • China: The third-largest group, representing about 5% of the total immigrant population (roughly 2.5 million people, including Hong Kong and Macau).