Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recently claimed that up to 20 million illegal immigrants may be living in the U.S., telling senators, “we believe it could be upwards of 20 million.” At a Cabinet meeting, she stated “20 to 21 million people need to go home.”
This figure exceeds most official estimates, which traditionally range between 10 and 12 million.
Stephen A. Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies said the Biden-era border surge makes the 20 million estimate more plausible, though his own figure is closer to 16 million.
Experts agree the true number is unclear due to policy changes, data gaps, and unrecorded “gotaways.”
