Census: U.S. Growth Rate Halved as Immigration Drops Under Trump Crackdown
New U.S. Census Bureau estimates show the nation’s population grew just 0.5% between July 2024 and July 2025, to nearly 342 million people, down sharply from almost 1% growth the prior year as President Donald Trump’s renewed immigration crackdown took hold. Net international migration fell to about 1.3 million people from 2.8 million the year before, while births exceeded deaths by roughly 519,000, making immigration the main driver of the growth slowdown. States that typically rely heavily on newcomers were hit hardest: California swung from gaining 232,000 residents to losing about 9,500 as net immigration into the state plunged, Florida saw both out‑of‑state arrivals and immigrant inflows drop, and New York eked out a gain of just over 1,000 people as immigrant inflows were cut by more than half. The data capture only the early impact of federal enforcement surges that began in cities like Los Angeles and Portland and do not yet reflect later crackdowns in Chicago, New Orleans, Memphis and Minneapolis, but they give the first hard numbers on how Trump’s second‑term immigration enforcement is reshaping U.S. demographics.
📌 Key Facts
- The Census Bureau estimates the U.S. population at nearly 342 million in 2025, up from 340 million in 2024, a 0.5% growth rate.
- Net immigration added about 1.3 million people in 2025, down from 2.8 million in 2024, while natural increase contributed 519,000.
- California’s population flipped from a net gain of 232,000 people to a net loss of about 9,500 as net immigrants fell from 361,000 to 109,000.
- Florida’s net domestic in‑migration fell from 64,000 to 22,000 and net immigration from over 411,000 to 178,000, while New York’s immigrant inflow dropped from 207,000 to 95,600, leaving it with a net gain of just 1,008 residents.
- The estimates cover July 2024–July 2025, overlapping the end of the Biden administration and the first half of Trump’s return, and reflect early enforcement surges in Los Angeles and Portland but not later crackdowns in cities like Chicago and Minneapolis.
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