page_title: Illegal immigration to the United States
section_title: Legal issues
hierarchical_section_title: Illegal immigration to the United States / Legal issues
caption_attribution_description: English: Chart of data from Department of Homeland Security, illustrating "removals" and "returns" of those immigrating illegally. Based on fiscal years. SOURCE AND CITATION: U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Table 39. Aliens Removed Or Returned: Fiscal Years 1892 To 2016.&#32;dhs.gov&#32;(2018). Archived from the original on January 12, 2019. &#91;1&#93; &lt;ref name=DHS-Table39&gt;{{cite web |author1=U.S. Department of Homeland Security |title=Table 39. Aliens Removed Or Returned: Fiscal Years 1892 To 2016 |url=https://www.dhs.gov/immigration-statistics/yearbook/2016/table39 |website=dhs.gov |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190112095853/https://www.dhs.gov/immigration-statistics/yearbook/2016/table39 |archivedate=January 12, 2019 |date=2018 |deadurl=no}}&lt;/ref&gt; NOTES FROM SOURCE: Removals are the compulsory and confirmed movement of an inadmissible or deportable alien out of the United States based on an order of removal. An alien who is removed has administrative or criminal consequences placed on subsequent reentry owing to the fact of the removal. Returns are the confirmed movement of an inadmissible or deportable alien out of the United States not based on an order of removal. Includes the 15 months from July 1, 1975 to September 30, 1976 because the end date of fiscal years was changed from June 30 to September 30. RAW DATA: Year	Removals (with formal order of removal)	Returns (without order of removal ) 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016	340,056	106,167 2015	326,962	129,429 2014	405,589	163,223 2013	433,034	178,663 2012	415,900	230,333 2011	385,778	322,073 2010	381,593	474,166 2009	391,283	582,584 2008	359,795	811,263 2007	319,382	891,390 2006	280,974	1,043,381 2005	246,431	1,096,920 2004	240,665	1,166,576 2003	211,098	945,294 2002	165,168	1,012,116 2001	189,026	1,349,371 2000	188,467	1,675,876 1999	183,114	1,574,863 1998	174,813	1,570,127 1997	114,432	1,440,684 1996	69,680	1,573,428 1995	50,924	1,313,764 1994	45,674	1,029,107 1993	42,542	1,243,410 1992	43,671	1,105,829 1991	33,189	1,061,105 1990	30,039	1,022,533 1989	34,427	830,890 1988	25,829	911,790 1987	24,336	1,091,203 1986	24,592	1,586,320 1985	23,105	1,041,296 1984	18,696	909,833 1983	19,211	931,600 1982	15,216	812,572 1981	17,379	823,875 1980	18,013	719,211 1979	26,825	966,137 1978	29,277	975,515 1977	31,263	867,015 1976	38,471	955,374 1975	24,432	655,814 1974	19,413	718,740 1973	17,346	568,005 1972	16,883	450,927 1971	18,294	370,074 1970	17,469	303,348 1969	11,030	240,958 1968	9,590	179,952 1967	9,728	142,343 1966	9,680	123,683 1965	10,572	95,263 1964	9,167	73,042 1963	7,763	69,392 1962	8,025	54,164 1961	8,181	52,383 1960	7,240	52,796 1959	8,468	56,610 1958	7,875	60,600 1957	5,989	63,379 1956	9,006	80,891 1955	17,695	232,769 1954	30,264	1,074,277 1953	23,482	885,391 1952	23,125	703,778 1951	17,328	673,169 1950	10,199	572,477 1949	23,874	276,297 1948	25,276	197,184 1947	23,434	195,880 1946	17,317	101,945 1945	13,611	69,490 1944	8,821	32,270 1943	5,702	11,947 1942	5,542	6,904 1941	7,336	6,531 1940	12,254	8,594 1939	14,700	9,590 1938	17,341	9,278 1937	16,905	8,788 1936	16,195	8,251 1935	13,877	7,978 1934	14,263	8,010 1933	25,392	10,347 1932	26,490	10,775 1931	27,886	11,719 1930	24,864	11,387 1929	31,035	25,888 1928	30,464	19,946 1927	31,417	15,012 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920
context_page_description: Illegal immigration to the United States is the process of migrating into the United States in violation of federal immigration laws. This can include foreign nationals who have entered the United States illegally, as well as those who entered legally but then remained after the expiration of their entry visa or parole documents. Illegal immigration has been a matter of intense debate in the United States since the 1980s.
  Research shows that illegal immigrants increase the size of the U.S. economy, contribute to economic growth, enhance the welfare of natives, contribute more in tax revenue than they collect, reduce American firms' incentives to offshore jobs and import foreign-produced goods, and benefit consumers by reducing the prices of goods and services. Economists estimate that legalization of the illegal immigrant population would increase the immigrants' earnings and consumption considerably, and increase U.S. gross domestic product. There is scholarly consensus that illegal immigrants commit less crime than natives.
context_section_description: Aliens can be classified as unlawfully present for one of three reasons: entering without authorization or inspection, staying beyond the authorized period after legal entry, or violating the terms of legal entry.
caption: Department of Homeland Security's report of number of illegal immigrants removed or returned, numbers through 2016.[106]
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