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The United States was built as a nation of immigrants and remains, in 2026, the country with the largest foreign-born population in the world. Yet the relationship between American citizens and newcomers has never been simple. Recent surveys from institutions such as the Pew Research Center, Gallup, and the Migration Policy Institute paint an ambivalent picture: most Americans see immigration as beneficial to the country, but the issue remains the most politically polarized on the national agenda — especially following the 2024 elections and the second presidential term that began in January 2025.
Understanding these perceptions matters for anyone planning to migrate, for employers recruiting talent abroad, and for anyone following public mobility policy. Social attitudes shape the environment people live in after arriving and directly influence the legislative decisions that govern visas, timelines, and quotas.
Who Are Immigrants in the U.S. Today
According to data consolidated by the Pew Research Center based on the 2023 American Community Survey, approximately 47.8 million people living in the United States were born in another country. That represents roughly 14.3% of the total population — one of the highest levels in American history, comparable to figures from the early twentieth century. In 2010, that number stood at 40 million; the absolute growth over the decade reflects both documented migration and irregular flows across the southern border.
The origin profile has shifted significantly from the European picture of the past. Mexico remains the top country of birth, followed by India, China, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic. Indian and Chinese immigration is growing especially fast in employment-based categories — EB-2, EB-3, and H-1B — while flows from Central America and the Caribbean predominate in humanitarian and family reunification petitions.
About 27% of the U.S. adult population has at least one immigrant parent, according to Pew, creating a deep cultural and family-level proximity to the issue. This personal connection helps explain why, even during periods of restrictive rhetoric, most Americans continue to recognize the value of those who arrive.
What Opinion Polls Say
Gallup has measured American sentiment on immigration for decades. The most recent available reading indicates that approximately 68% of respondents consider immigration positive for the country. That percentage fluctuates but rarely falls below an absolute majority. On the other hand, in 2024 and 2025, Gallup recorded a historic peak in the number of Americans who favor reducing current immigration levels — a sign that endorsing the concept does not mean endorsing the current volume.
The partisan divide is the most striking axis. In Pew surveys from 2023, 83% of Democratic voters said racial and ethnic diversity makes the country stronger, compared to 43% of Republicans. On the economic impact of immigrants, 84% of Democrats rate it as positive, versus 41% of Republicans. These gaps have widened over the past ten years and help explain why the issue dominated the election cycle.
There is also a more broadly shared cultural layer: 54% acknowledge that immigrants enrich the country’s cuisine, music, arts, and sports. When the question shifts from policy to daily life, polarization fades.
The Economic Weight of Immigration
The Congressional Budget Office published a projection in 2024 frequently cited by economists: recent migration flows could add roughly $7 trillion to the cumulative U.S. GDP over the next decade, driven by workforce expansion and increased consumption. The CBO also projects an additional $1 trillion in federal revenue over the same period.
Immigrants account for approximately 18.6% of the civilian labor force in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They are concentrated in sectors where domestic supply falls short: agriculture, construction, healthcare, hospitality, technology, and domestic services. In advanced STEM occupations, more than half of the doctoral holders in engineering and computer science working in the country were born abroad.
Immigrant entrepreneurship is equally significant. Studies from the National Foundation for American Policy show that more than 55% of unicorns — private startups valued at over $1 billion — were founded by immigrants or children of immigrants. Companies such as Google, Tesla, Stripe, Moderna, and Zoom have founders or co-founders born outside the United States.
On the fiscal side, the Migration Policy Institute documents that immigrants contribute on average more to Social Security and Medicare than they receive in benefits, largely because they tend to be younger than the native-born population. This flow is essential to sustaining systems under growing demographic pressure.
Persistent Myths versus Evidence
Despite the data, some misconceptions survive empirical scrutiny. They are worth addressing directly.
Myth: Immigrants burden public services
Longitudinal studies from the Migration Policy Institute and the National Academies of Sciences show a positive net fiscal effect from immigration over the long term, especially when the second generation is taken into account. Undocumented immigrants do not have access to federal Medicaid, food stamps, or the Affordable Care Act, yet they pay consumption taxes, property taxes, and — frequently — income taxes via ITIN.
Myth: Immigrants drive up crime
Research published in journals such as the American Journal of Sociology and long-term FBI data indicate that cities with higher proportions of immigrants have crime rates equal to or lower than those of other cities. Documented immigrants have a substantially lower incarceration rate than the U.S.-born population.
Myth: Immigrants take jobs from Americans
The prevailing economic literature — from scholars such as Giovanni Peri (UC Davis) and the CBO itself — shows that immigrants complement, rather than replace, the local workforce. They fill positions in chronically understaffed sectors and drive job creation through entrepreneurship. There are localized competitive effects in low-skill segments, but the aggregate balance is positive.
What the 2025–2026 Landscape Brings
The second Trump administration has introduced significant changes to the landscape. Border policy has been tightened, humanitarian programs such as CHNV and Uniting for Ukraine were temporarily suspended, interior enforcement operations expanded, and TPS eligibility criteria revised. At the same time, the employment-based immigration system — EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-5, H-1B, L-1, O-1 — remains fully operational, with targeted regulatory adjustments.
For those planning to migrate legally, merit-based professional pathways remain open and, in some categories, carry more favorable conditions due to the focus on attracting skilled talent. Opinion surveys also show that political hostility is directed primarily at irregular and humanitarian flows — those arriving through standard consular channels continue to be seen, in public perception, as within the American social contract.
How This Picture Affects Your Decision
For the professional or entrepreneur weighing a move to the United States in 2026, three conclusions emerge from the data. First, the country continues to absorb immigrants at a meaningful pace, and qualified human capital is still being actively recruited. Second, social acceptance — though marked by partisan tensions — has been majority and stable in surveys for decades. Third, the regulatory environment is dynamic and requires ongoing monitoring of changes at USCIS, the Department of State, and the federal courts.
American immigration has never been a static destination. It is a permanent negotiation between a tradition of openness and border anxiety, between economic demand and institutional capacity. Understanding that tension is the first step in any serious migration planning.
Victoria Harper
Editor-in-Chief
Leading journalism and editorial content at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps make immigration topics clear, trustworthy, and easy to understand. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.
