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Most illegal immigrants to the United States come from Mexico but the greatest percentage increase in their ranks during 2000-2005 was from India, according to official estimates. The number of unauthorised immigrants residing in the United States in January 2006 reached 11 million compared to 8.5 million in January 2000, according to calculations by the Office of Immigration Statistics in the Department of Homeland Security.

Among the 10 leading source countries for the unauthorised immigration during 2000 to 2005, Mexico topped the list with nearly 6 million residents in January 2005 up from 4.7 million in 2000 with the greatest annual average increase of 260,000.

El Salvador (470,000), Guatemala, (370,000), India (280,000), and China were the next leading source countries, accounting for a combined total of nearly 1.4 million unauthorised immigrants.

However, the greatest percentage increase in the unauthorised immigrant population from 2000 to 2005 occurred among immigrants from India (133 per cent) and Brazil (70 per cent).

The top ten countries of origin, including Mexico, accounted for 79 per cent of the 10.5 million unauthorised immigrants living in the United States in 2005.

An estimated 7.6 million of them were from the North America region, including Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. The next leading regions of origin were Asia (1.3 million) and South America (830,000).

Almost 3.1 million of the 10.5 million unauthorised residents in 2005 had come to live in the United States in 2000 or later. An estimated 1 million entered the United States in 2003 or 2004, while 2.1 million arrived during 2000 through 2002.

California had the largest illegal immigrant population, with 2.8 million in January 2005, followed by Texas with 1.4 million and Florida with 850,000. California’s share of the national total declined from 30 per cent in 2000 to 26 per cent in 2005.

Among the 10 leading states of residence of the unauthorised population in 2005, those with the largest average annual increases since 2000 were Texas (54,000), California (52,000), and Georgia (50,000).

The states with the greatest percentage increases in unauthorised immigrants from 2000 to 2005 were Georgia (114 per cent), Arizona (45 per cent), Nevada (41 per cent), and North Carolina (38 per cent).

An estimated 6.1 million of the 10.5 million unauthorised residents in January 2005 lived in the five states with the largest unauthorised resident populations – California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois. These states accounted for 64 per cent of the total population in 2000 and 58 per cent in 2005, due largely to the decline in California’s share.

Growing geographic dispersion of the unauthorised immigrant population is reflected by an increase in the share of the population living in all other states.

The percentage of unauthorised immigrants residing in states ranked 6th through 10th in 2005 – Arizona, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Nevada – increased from 16 per cent in 2000 to 18 per cent in 2005.

In addition, the share of the unauthorised population residing in all other states increased from 21 per cent to 24 per cent during the period.

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