While illegal immigration has been a frequent subject of national debate, it's worth taking a look how each state is impacted individually by illegal immigration. Here's a behind-the-numbers look at how illegal immigration has impacted Iowa.
According to research into U.S. census data by the Pew Research Center, 14 states saw a dip in illegal immigrant populations from 2009 to 2012. In 2012, those illegal immigrants numbered about 3.5 percent of the total U.S. population — 11. 2 million — of close to 316 million people, Pew noted. Additionally, those illegals marked 26 percent of the 42.5 million U.S. residents who were foreign-born.
Tell Us: Should Illegals Be Allowed to Apply for US Citizenship?
Figures from Iowa remained relatively static through that period as no significant changes were recorded.
Data from the Pew Research Center found in 2012 that illegal immigration in Iowa:
- Was estimated at 40,000 illegal residents
- Made up 1.4 percent of the Iowa's total population
- Accounted for 30 percent of all immigrants in Iowa
- Was responsible for 2.7 percent — children born to parents who were unauthorized residents — of all K-12 students
- Comprised 2 percent of the state's workforce
- Was mostly of Mexican descent: 65 percent of those illegal residents in Iowa originated from Mexico
Vote Now: Do You Support Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants?
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.