Pew Research Center Estimates Number of Unauthorized Immigrants in NYC

With recent backlash over the Trump Administration's immigration Executive Orders, there has been increased interest on things like "sanctuary cities" and what qualifies as a "legal" immigrant.

Recently-released Pew Research Center data shows estimates on the number of unauthorized immigrants that live in major metro areas, where "unauthorized" represents those that have illegally crossed borders and those staying past the expiration date on their travel visas.

The New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area, which expands far outside the city and covers 13,318 square miles and 23.7 million people, contains the largest number of unauthorized immigrants, with an estimated 1.15 million, with an estimated 525,000 in New York City proper.

These numbers are especially prescient, as they will surely paint NYC as the prime target if the Trump Administration moves forward on restricting federal funding of "sanctuary cities" if cities resist working with Federal authorities on any immigration measures.

View the full Pew Research Center report for data on the other 20 largest American metro areas.