Illegal Immigration Figures in Washington

Illegal immigration estimates vary, but by all accounts, the state of Washington has a sizable population of undocumented residents.

The Department of Homeland Security estimated that 270,000 unauthorized immigrants – or “foreign-born non-citizens who are not legal residents” — lived in 2012 in Washington, placing it 10th among U.S. states in number of unauthorized immigrants.

The Center for Immigration Studies said it’s difficult to determine accurate estimates of illegal immigration, but Homeland Security is one entity, along with the Pew Research Center and the Federation for American Immigration Reform, to attempt to account for illegal immigration.

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Nationwide, Homeland Security estimated that the illegal immigrant population decreased to 11.43 million in 2012 from 11.59 million in 2010. Homeland Security estimates suggest Washington’s total number of unauthorized immigrants rose from 170,000 in 2000 to 280,000 in 2006 before falling to 230,000 in 2009, then rising to 260,000 in 2010 and 2011.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform estimated Washington’s illegal immigrant population for 2010 at about 275,000. FAIR projected Washington's illegal immigrant population would rise to 10.61 million by 2050.

The Pew Research Center estimated Washington’s 2010 illegal immigrant population at 230,000, which would make up 3.4 percent of the Evergreen State’s population, according Slate. About 190,000 illegal immigrants were thought to be part of Washington’s labor force, comprising about 5.1 percent of the state’s total labor force, Slate said.

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The Pew Research Center released estimates in December 2014 that left Washington’s unauthorized immigrant population for 2012 at the previous level of 230,000, placing it 12th among the nation’s states. The center suggested Washington’s number of illegal immigrants had risen from about 40,000 in 1990 to a high of 250,000 in 2007, then decreased.

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