March 2025 Newsletter

Issue #97

There are approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. This is below the peak of 12.2 million in 2007.

Pew Research Center

Undocumented people represent approximately 3.3% of the total U.S. population, but 23% of the foreign-born population. 

Pew Research Center

38% of undocumented people crossed a border illegally, but 62% have simply overstayed their visas.

Center for Migration Studies

The 6 states with the largest undocumented immigrant populations are:

• California (1.8 million)
• Texas (1.6 million)
• Florida (1.2 million)
• New York (650,000)
• New Jersey (475,000)
• Illinois (400,000)

Pew Research Center

Most undocumented immigrant adults have lived in the U.S. for 16 years or more.

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

Origin

The countries with the largest undocumented immigrant populations in the U.S. are:

• Mexico (4,000,000)
• El Salvador (750,000)
• India (725,000)
• Guatemala (675,000)
• Honduras (525,000)

Pew Research Center

Almost 25% of undocumented immigrants are from Asia, Africa, Europe and the 

Pacific Islands.

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

Households

Undocumented immigrants represent 4.8% of the 130 million U.S. households.

Pew Research Center

Almost 50% of undocumented immigrants are married and head households

with children.

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

Most undocumented immigrants are members of families that have mixed legal status. 12 million US. citizens, including 6 million children, live in households with mixed legal status.

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

In 86% of these households, either the householder or their spouse is an undocumented immigrant.

Pew Research Center

There are 1.3 million U.S.-born adults who are children of undocumented immigrants. 

Pew Research Center

About 850,000 children under 18 are undocumented.

Pew Research Center

Workers

About 8.3 million U.S. workers are undocumented immigrants, an increase from 7.4 million in 2019.

Pew Research Center

86% of income received by undocumented immigrants comes from wages. 11% are self-employed. Despite being only 3.4% of the overall population, undocumented immigrants make up 4.7% of the workforce.

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

Taxes

Undocumented immigrants pay more than $96 billion in federal, state, and local taxes each year. $59 billion, is paid to the federal government while the remaining $37 billion is paid to state and local governments.

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

On average undocumented immigrants pay federal, state, and local taxes of $8,889 per person. In other words, for every 1 million undocumented immigrants who reside in the country, public services receive $8.9 billion in additional tax revenue.

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

More than 33% of the tax dollars paid by undocumented immigrants go toward payroll taxes dedicated to funding programs that these workers are barred from accessing. In 2022, undocumented immigrants paid $25.7 billion in Social Security taxes, $6.4 billion in Medicare taxes, and $1.8 billion in unemployment insurance taxes.

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

At the state and local levels, 46%, ($15.1 billion) of the tax payments made by undocumented immigrants are through sales and excise taxes levied on their purchases. Most other payments are made through property taxes, such as those levied on homeowners and renters 31% ($10.4 billion), or through personal and business income taxes 21% ($7 billion).

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

6 states raise more than $1 billion each in tax revenue from undocumented immigrants living within their borders: California ($8.5 billion), Texas ($4.9 billion), New York ($3.1 billion), Florida ($1.8 billion), Illinois ($1.5 billion), and New Jersey

($1.3 billion).

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

In 40 states, undocumented immigrants pay higher state and local tax rates than the top 1% of households living within their borders.

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

Crime

Undocumented immigrants are 50% less likely to arrested for violent crimes, 40% less likely to be arrested for drug crimes, and over 25% less likely to be arrested for property crimes than U.S.-born citizens. 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Since the 1960s, undocumented immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than U.S.-born people even though as a group immigrants now are relatively younger, more likely to be non-white, have lower incomes, and are less educated – characteristics often associated with involvement in the criminal

justice system.

National Bureau of Economic Research

For more on Immigration, click here.

Ten Things You Can Do to Accompany Undocumented Immigrants

A resource from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) that lists specific actions people can take to help to help their undocumented neighbors. Also included are links to further information. Learn more.

For more on Immigration, click here.

National Immigration Legal

Services Directory

A resource from the Immigrant Advocates Network, that lists immigration legal services providers by state, county, or detention facility. Only nonprofit organizations that provide free or low-cost immigration legal services are included. Learn more.

For more on Immigration, click here.

Migrant God: A Christian Vision for Immigrant Justice 

By Isaac Samuel Villegas. Takes readers to the front lines of immigrant justice activism where Christians are putting hope into action. From Tijuana, Mexico, to Douglas, Arizona, across North Carolina and beyond, bears witness to loving solidarity among Christians—both with and without US citizenship.

Centering on the stories of people who have been transformed through their dedication to the work of collective wholeness, each chapter begins “on the ground”—with protests in the streets, hospitality in migrant shelters, and shared meals in home kitchens. Engages in biblical, theological, and political reflection to explore the significance of these sites. (Available March 13th)

Read more.

For more on Immigration, click here.

Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES)

A nonprofit organization that offers legal and social services to people who want to put down roots in the U.S. — and cultivate welcoming communities that uphold our collective freedoms. They open over 10,000 cases each year modeling what a humane immigration system could look like in the U.S. Without free and low cost legal services and access to holistic, trauma-informed care, most of their clients, including children of all ages, would have to go to court alone, with zero representation. Learn more.

For more on Refugees, click here.

Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)

A national, nonpartisan, anti-poverty nonprofit organization that works to advance policy solutions to improve the lives of people with low incomes. Develops practical, yet visionary strategies for reducing poverty, promoting economic opportunity, and addressing institutional and racial barriers faced by people of color. CLASP understands that poverty in America is inextricably tied to systemic racism. That’s why racial equity is their core value and informs all aspects of their organizational culture and the way they think about and approach their policy, issue, and advocacy areas. Learn more.

For more Economic Justice, click here.

Farmworker Justice

An organization that develops clinician guides, issue briefs, trainings, and educational materials for advocates, service providers, and workers on various occupational and environmental health topics, including: heat stress, climate change, pesticides, and worker safety. Also partners with state and national organizations to engage in advocacy in Congress and the Administration to ensure occupational safety and health protections for farmworkers. Learn more.

For more on Labor, click here.

Restaurant Opportunities Center United

A non-profit organization, that envisions a society that treats restaurant workers with dignity and respect, and an industry that prioritizes racial and gender equity and strives to increase the standard of living for all working-class people. ROC works to improve restaurant workers’ lives by building worker power and uniting workers of various backgrounds around shared goals and values. Partners with restaurant workers to overcome the obstacles racism and sexism place in their way by helping them understand their rights and advocating for political representation through organizing, educating, training, and agitating. Learn more.

For more on Labor, click here.

Taproot Earth

An organization that seeds and nourishes global formations that address the roots of the climate crisis. Works to create just solutions for a more free and thriving world. Their solutions go far beyond carbon reduction and greenhouse gas mitigation. They are rooted in community stewardship and governance of water, energy, and land. Their 3 core climate solutions are: acknowledge and repair harm, build power and alignment, and invest in community stewardship. Learn more.

For more on the Environment, click here.

Solar Energy is Even Cheaper than You Think

A TED Talk featuring researcher, Jenny Chase, who says that solar power is already displacing fossil fuels in key energy markets around the world. She explains the rise of affordable solar power and dives into how her team tracked its rapid installation in unexpected countries, offering a vision of a brighter, more sustainable future. Watch now.

For more on the Environment, click here.

Doctors Against Genocide

A global coalition of healthcare workers dedicated to succeeding where global governments have failed in confronting and preventing genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Their team is made up of healthcare professionals from around the world who are passionate about advocating for preserving life and human rights. Learn more. 

For more on War, click here.

Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black

Land Ownership

By Brea Baker. Looks at why less than 1% of rural land in the U.S. is owned by Black people. Explores the impact of land theft and violent displacement on current racial wealth gaps. Argues that we must first unpack the historic attacks on Indigenous and Black land ownership and confront one of this nation’s first sins: stealing, hoarding, and commodifying the land. This theft widened the racial wealth gap, privatized natural resources, and created a permanent barrier to access that should be a birthright for Black and Indigenous communities. Read more. 

For more on Racism, click here.

Solitary Watch

A nonprofit watchdog organization that works to uncover the truth about solitary confinement and other harsh prison conditions in the United States by producing high-quality investigative journalism, accurate information, and authentic storytelling from both sides of prison walls. Strives to spur public debate and policy change on an underreported humanitarian crisis by promoting awareness, creating accountability, and shifting narratives. Offers facts & figures, news & features, as well as other

related resources.

Learn more. 

For more on the Criminal Justice System,

click here.

A project of Pace e Bene, that seeks to end war, poverty, racism and environmental destruction —and build a nonviolent culture. Organizes The Nonviolent Cities Project, The Nonviolence Training Hub, and the annual Campaign Nonviolence Days of Action, where every September 21 (International Day of Peace) through October 2 (International Day of Nonviolence) people across the country and around the world mobilize for a culture of peace, economic equality, racial justice and environmental healing. Learn more.

For more Peace resources, click here.

National Violence Prevention Network

A broad-based coalition of local, state, and national organizations dedicated to violent death prevention by advocating for the full implementation of the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) in the U.S. Network members work together to generate support for NVDRS among policymakers, other national organizations, and the general public by educating them on the benefits of placing multi-source incident data collected on violent deaths in a central, state-level repository. Such activity enables states to design and implement programs aimed at preventing violent deaths. NVPN also advocates for research funding for studies that may use NVDRS data. This includes funding at the Centers for Disease Control for gun violence research to remedy the lack of studies on this issue in recent years. Learn more.

For more Justice resources, click here.

Since 2017, there have been more than 500,000 visitors to the Social Justice Resource Center website. We provide a wide variety of facts and figures on specific social issues as well as thousands of free resources including films, publications, links to other organizations, prayers, quotes, principles of social justice, key dates throughout the year, action ideas, Diocesan office contact information and biographies of famous people who have worked for social justice.

To learn more, click here.

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