Idaho has about 35,000 undocumented immigrants. Who are they? Here are 8 things to know
Immigration and border security have been a top issue in the political scenes in Washington D.C. and Boise. Questions about how to address a need for an immigrant workforce while ensuring the safety and the safety of U.S. citizens swirl in the halls of Congress and the Idaho Legislature.
The Idaho Dairymen’s Association, the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation and the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry commissioned a study from the University of Idaho’s McClure Center to help lawmakers, business leaders and community members understand who the undocumented immigrants are in Idaho and how they contribute to the state.
Here are eight findings of the report to know:
1. They’re overwhelmingly Mexican
The most recent available data from the Center for Migration Studies, a New York think tank that studies migrant patterns, said that nationally 39% were born in Mexico in 2021. In Idaho, Mexicans make up a far greater percentage of the undocumented population at 78%.
The composition of unauthorized immigrants in Idaho remained steady from 2010 to 2019, with more than 80% of unauthorized immigrants in Idaho coming from Mexico and Central America.
2. Their numbers were no greater in 2005
According to the 2021 data, the estimated number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. grew from 3.5 million in 1990 to 12.2 million in 2007. Between 2007 and 2021, the undocumented immigrant population declined to 10.5 million in 2021.
Those numbers don’t reflect possible numbers of undocumented immigrants entering the U.S. after 2021.
NPR reported that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents encountered around 2.5 million migrants ath the southern border in 2023. NPR points to other news reports about an increased number of displaced immigrants in the U.S., like a lack of shelter beds for immigrants available in New York City. These reports suggest the U.S. has seen an increase in immigrants since 2021.
In Idaho, the population of unauthorized immigrants in Idaho remained stable from 2005 to 2021, according to the Census Bureau. In 2021, there were an estimated 35,000 unauthorized immigrants in Idaho. Between 2005 and 2021, the number of undocumented immigrants living in Idaho ranged from 30,000 to 45,000.
3. Half of them stay in Idaho at least 16 years
One possible reason why Idaho’s undocumented immigrant population has remained steady for the last 16 years is because at least half of the undocumented immigrants in Idaho stay for more than 16 years.
In 2021, 76% of unauthorized immigrant adults in Idaho had been in the state for six or more years, according to the Census Bureau and Pew Research Center. The most recent detailed data about length of stay was collected in 2014. Then, at least half of unauthorized immigrants in Idaho had been in the state for more than 16 years, the longest length of stay in the nation.
4. Most are working age and employed
Most unauthorized immigrants in Idaho are working-age adults.
According to the Center for Migration Studies, in 2019, 89% of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S., and 92% in Idaho, were ages 18-64. In Idaho just 6% were school-age children and 2% retirement-age adults.
Idaho’s employment rate for undocumented immigrants is higher than the national average, according to Pew Research Center data. In 2021, 86% of undocumented workers in Idaho were employed, compared with 74% nationally.
Unauthorized immigrants made up an estimated 4.6% of the U.S. labor force and 3% of Idaho’s labor force in 2021, according to Pew.
5. Most work in agriculture, construction and service
Nationally, undocumented immigrants worked mostly in agriculture in 2021, although many also work in construction and leisure and hospitality, according to the Center for Migration Studies. Nationally, an estimated 45% of all agricultural workers were unauthorized immigrants in 2019.
Idaho had an estimated 30,000 unauthorized immigrants in the workforce in 2021, and one-third worked in agriculture, according to the Center for Migration Studies. The remaining two-thirds were split about evenly among four sectors: construction, manufacturing, professional services, and leisure and hospitality.
With U.S. Department of Labor data, the McClure Center found that in Idaho, businesses are seeking more workers than are entering the workforce.
“This means it is unlikely that unauthorized immigrant workers in Idaho are affecting wages of authorized workers,” the center said.
Many agriculture, construction and hospitality businesses report filling positions are a top concern.
6. They pay taxes but don’t benefit from most public aid
Undocumented workers often work with false Social Security numbers, so they pay Social Security taxes but are not eligible for its benefits. The only undocumented workers who do not pay income and Social Security taxes are ones who may be paid under the table, but the McClure Center could not estimate how many were.
Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for most taxpayer-funded programs like Medicaid, but most pay income tax, and all pay sales taxes when they make purchases. Undocumented immigrants are eligible only for emergency Medicaid, public education and the National School Lunch Program.
In 2014, Idaho collected $1.6 billion in sales and excise taxes, $1.3 billion in individual state income tax and $1.5 billion in property taxes,according to data from the Idaho Tax Commission. Of this, undocumented immigrants paid an estimated $15.5 million in sales and excise taxes, $2.4 million in state individual income taxes and $8.4 million in property taxes, for a total of $26.3 million.
7. Few are highly educated
The most recent data on the educational attainment of undocumented immigrants is from 2019, which shows 40% of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. had less than a high school diploma or equivalent, and 19% had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
About 40% of Idaho undocumented immigrants also had a high school diploma or equivalent. But In Idaho, in 2019, only 5% of unauthorized immigrants had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
8. More are speaking English
English proficiency among unauthorized immigrants is increasing. In 2007, 25% of undocumented immigrants nationally spoke English at home or spoke English “very well,” according to the Center for Migration Studies. That increased to almost 60% in 2019.
In Idaho, 58% of undocumented immigrants identified themselves as speaking English “well” or “very well.” The remaining 42% identified themselves as speaking English “a little” or “not at all.”
