What the numbers say: This statistic shows the number of unauthorized Mexican immigrants in the U.S. from 1990 to 2014. As of 2014, 5.85 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. were from Mexico. Based on Pew Research Center estimates, 10.5 million unauthorized immigrants lived in the U.S. in 2017, down from a peak of 12.2 million in 2007.
Why it matters: The mass movement of people across the hemisphere continues to challenge governments throughout the Americas. Monthly encounters between U.S. Border Patrol agents and migrants attempting to cross into the U.S. at the U.S.-Mexico border remain at levels not seen in more than two decades, according to the latest available government statistics.
Where to see the impact: The policy proposed by the Biden administration in January, which would make it difficult for migrants arriving from a "safe third country" to obtain asylum without first seeking refuge there, has been criticized by both the Mexican government and immigrant advocates in the U.S.