NEW REPORT: Immigration and Public Schools

Washington, D.C. (June 21, 2023) -- A new analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies merges 2021 Census Bureau data (the latest available) with Google Maps to provide a visual representation of the impact of immigration (legal and illegal combined) on public schools at the local level. The report is based on Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs); this is the most detailed look possible at the impact of immigration at the local level using public use data. We also report statistics by state and metropolitan area.

The findings show that, in many areas, students from immigrant households account for an enormous share of public school students. Moreover, a larger share of students from immigrant households come from low-income families and speak a foreign language at home, creating significant challenges, often in areas already struggling to educate students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“Those who advocate a permissive immigration policy seldom consider the enormous impact it has on the nation’s schools,” said Steven Camarota, the report’s lead author and the Center’s Director of Research. “The share of students from immigrant households is now so large in many parts of the country that it raises profound questions about assimilation.”

Among the findings:

The 11 million public school students in 2021 from immigrant-headed households (legal and illegal) accounted for nearly one out of four (23 percent) students in public schools. This is double the 11 percent in 1990 and more than triple the 7 percent in 1980.
Of students in immigrant households in 2021, 83 percent were born in the United States.
In 2021, our best estimate is that 29 percent (3.2 million) of public school students from immigrant households were from households headed by an illegal immigrant. However, this estimate does not reflect the on-going border crisis and huge influx that began in 2021.
The impact of immigration on schools tends to be concentrated; just 700 of the nation’s 2,351 Census Bureau-designated PUMAs account for two-thirds (seven million) of students from immigrant households; these same PUMAs account for just over one-third of total public school enrollment.
The average public school student from an immigrant household lives in an area in which 39 percent of their fellow public school students are also from immigrant households.
Immigration has added disproportionately to the number of low-income students in public schools. In 2021, 21 percent of public school students from immigrant households lived in poverty and they accounted for 29 percent of all students living below the poverty line.
Immigrant households’ lower average income and resulting lower average tax payments, coupled with their having more students per households on average and the larger share who speak a language other than English often creates significant challenges for schools in many areas.

There are 287 PUMAs where more than half of students are from immigrant households. While these areas of very heavy immigrant settlement are concentrated in few states, there are such areas throughout the country:

96 percent in Elmhurst and South Corona, New York City, N.Y.
87 percent in Northeast Dade County, North Central Hialeah City, Fla.
83 percent in Los Angeles County (Central), Los Angles City, Koreatown, Calif.
82 percent in Prince George's County (NW), College Park City, & Langley Park, Md.
79 percent in Union County (Northeast), Elizabeth City, N.J.
78 percent in Houston City (West), Westpark Tollway, West of Beltway TX-8, Texas
74 percent in Suffolk County (North), Revere, Chelsea, and Winthrop, Mass.
73 percent in Fairfax County (E. Central), Annandale, W. Falls Church, Bailey's Crossroads, Va.

States where the share of public school students from immigrant households has increased the most from 1990 to 2021 are:

Delaware, from 2 to 25 percent
New Jersey, from 17 to 39 percent
Nevada, from 11 to 30 percent
Maryland, from 9 to 29 percent
Washington state, from 9 to 28 percent
North Carolina, from 2 to 19 percent
Virginia, from 6 to 23 percent
Georgia, from 3 to 19 percent
Massachusetts, from 13 to 28 percent
Florida, from 17 to 31 percent
New York, from 21 to 35 percent
Texas, from 17 to 31 percent
Minnesota, from 4 to 18 percent