Nearly one in 10 births in the United States in 2023 were to parents living in the country without legal status, according to new data released by the Pew Research Center, highlighting a renewed flashpoint in the debate over immigration and birthright citizenship as President Donald Trump pushes to limit automatic citizenship for some children born in the U.S.
The analysis found that about 320,000 of the 3.6 million babies born nationwide in 2023, which was during the Biden administration, were to unauthorized immigrant parents.
Researchers said roughly 245,000 of those births were to mothers identified as unauthorized immigrants and fathers who were neither U.S. citizens nor lawful permanent residents.
An additional 15,000 births involved mothers with temporary legal status and fathers who were not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.
Trump has issued an executive order seeking to reinterpret birthright citizenship, a policy rooted in the 14th Amendment, and the matter is expected to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
According to Pew's analysis, approximately 260,000 babies born in 2023 would not have qualified for U.S. citizenship under the framework outlined in Trump's order if it is upheld.
The report also places the latest figures in historical context, noting that births to unauthorized immigrant parents tend to track broader trends in that population.
That population more than tripled between 1990 and 2007, a period during which births to unauthorized immigrant mothers also surged — from about 120,000 in 1990 to a peak of roughly 380,000 in 2006, according to the Pew report.
In 1990, such births accounted for about 3% of the 4.1 million U.S. births. By 2006, the share had risen to roughly 9%.
The 2023 total marks the highest level since 2010, when approximately 325,000 babies were born to unauthorized immigrant parents during the second year of the Obama administration, according to Pew.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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