President-elect Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportations has put a new spotlight on the more than 220,000 immigrants, mostly asylum seekers, who have already filled shelters in New York City in an influx that began two years ago.
But they are just some of the ‘undocumented’ immigrants in the state.
Overall, New York State hosted about 672,000 ‘undocumented’ immigrants in 2022, according to data from the Center for Migration Studies, an organization that tracks immigrant demographics across the country.
And most of them have lived in the country for over a decade, according to the Center’s data.
But any of them could potentially face detention or removal under Trump’s new deportation plan. While he has not detailed who among the undocumented will actually be targeted, the president-elect has promised the “largest deportation operation” in the country’s history, to begin on his first day in office, January 20, 2025.
About one-third of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country are allowed to remain in the country, according to the executive director of the Center for Migration Studies, Mario Russell.
This includes asylum seekers, beneficiaries of humanitarian programs, and beneficiaries of special immigration programs, such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) “Dreamers”.
Undocumented Immigrants from NY
New York City is one of the cities with the most immigrants in the United States and around the world: more than one-third of the city’s residents are immigrants. Undocumented immigrants make up 5% of the total population.
Most Have Been Here for Over a Decade
Most undocumented immigrants in New York State have been in the country for over a decade, according to data from the center up to 2022. More than three-quarters have resided in the United States for over five years.
1 in 5 Are Asian
Mexico remains the largest source of undocumented immigrants to the country.
But undocumented Mexican immigrants are less prominent in New York State than in the U.S. overall. Instead, the state hosts larger shares of undocumented immigrants from the Dominican Republic and China, among other countries.
In 2022, one in five undocumented immigrants in New York State came from Asia, more than any other continent, according to CMS data. More than one-third of Asian immigrants, 7% in total, come from China. And more undocumented New Yorkers are from India than from Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Peru combined.
New York also hosts a large share of undocumented Black immigrants. About 11% of undocumented New Yorkers identify as Black, compared to 5% nationwide.
Undocumented Immigrants Fill High-Need Job Vacancies
The top occupations of undocumented New Yorkers are service and construction jobs. But there are also high numbers of undocumented workers in 12 fast-growing occupations in the state, according to a July report from the Center for Migration Studies. This includes cooks, home health aides, taxi drivers, delivery workers, and medical therapy assistants.
But undocumented New Yorkers have higher poverty rates—18% compared to 14% of the state’s general population—and fewer have health insurance. About three in five undocumented New Yorkers have insurance, compared to 95% of the state’s total population.
Queens and Brooklyn Are ‘Hubs’
Queens and Brooklyn host the largest share of the city’s undocumented community. More than 60% of undocumented residents live in these two boroughs, according to last year’s report from the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.
More than one-third of undocumented residents in New York City live in overcrowded households, with more than one person per room, compared to 16% of native-born citizens.
English and Education
The vast majority, 89%, of undocumented immigrants in New York State report that they speak some English, according to center data. And 36% speak English “very well”.
Two-thirds of undocumented New Yorkers have received a high school diploma or higher, compared to 88% overall. And half of undocumented New Yorkers have bachelor’s or higher degrees compared to the general population of New York: 22% compared to 41%.
Source: Gothamist