Surge in New Immigrants in US With ‘Legal’ Visas: Report

The United States saw more than 900,000 new immigrants between 2021 and 2022 with legal visas, says a report. The migrants, mainly from India, Venezuela and China, now call Florida, Georgia, Texas, Maryland and North Carolina their new home. 

According to the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, there were 46.2 million immigrants living in the country in July 2022, compared to 45.3 million in July 2021. This is an increase of nearly one million immigrants, with about 130,000 from India, 122,000 from Venezuela, and 86,000 from China. 

The report highlights Florida witnessing a 5 percent jump in new immigrants about 208,000, the largest one-year increase. The states of Georgia, Texas, Maryland and North Carolina also saw the surge. However, California, Hawaii, Delaware, Louisiana, Rhode Island, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Alaska saw a drop in immigrant population. 

Immigrants from India and China

Julia Gelatt, associate director for US Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute, believes migrants with legal visas from India and China are likely to cross the border on foot and claim asylum and live a quasi-legal existence. Immigrants from these two countries are most likely high skill workers. They have taken up jobs in cities and suburbs. 

Data suggests that immigrants from India are concentrated in California, Texas, and New Jersey, with the largest population in Silicon Valley’s Santa Clara and Alameda counties. Migrants from Venezuela, fleeing economic and political crisis, cross into the US via the jungles in Colombia and Panama. Many Venezuelan migrants have taken to Florida and Texas. 

Asylum Seekers from Troubled Countries

Hector Arguinzones, co-founder of Venezuela and Immigrants Aid, said most US citizens think the migrants come for money. “But what they really want is just to get some food and supplies for their families and put a roof over their head.” Many Venezuelan asylum seekers can get humanitarian parole and work authorization but only if they successfully pass the screening at border checkpoints. Arguinzones highlighted the process is too long and confusing, and immigrants end up living on charity and waiting for asylum cases. 

The US has seen immigrants from other troubled countries like Honduras, Afghanistan, and Nicaragua.