Who are Harris County’s unauthorized immigrants? These charts detail their diverse backgrounds.
New estimates detail the backgrounds of Harris County's 600,000-plus unauthorized immigrants, including where they're from and how long they've lived in the U.S
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Topic: Unauthorized immigrants in Harris CountySource: Migration Policy Institute via Houston newsKey Number: 600,000+ unauthorized immigrants in Harris CountyKey Finding: Over half have lived in the U.S. for 15 or more yearsReading Time: About 4 minutes
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Look up 'Harris County unauthorized immigrants Migration Policy Institute charts' to find the full story and see the data broken down by age, home country, and family situation.
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More than 600,000 unauthorized immigrants live in Harris County, making it second only to Los Angeles County in the U.S. New estimates from the Migration Policy Institute — a nonpartisan research group — paint a detailed picture of who they are: where they came from, how long they've been here, how old they are, what work they do, and how their families are structured. The numbers come from 2023 Census-based modeling.
The Migration Policy Institute defines unauthorized immigrants as people who entered without legal permission, overstayed a visa, or hold a temporary protected status such as DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) or TPS (Temporary Protected Status). Key findings from the 2023 estimates include: most came from Mexico or Central America; more than half have lived in the U.S. for 15 or more years; about 60% are between ages 18 and 44; many have U.S.-born children; most adults 25 and older lack a high school diploma, though roughly one-quarter have some college; about three-quarters are limited English proficient; the labor force participation rate is 63%, in line with the national average; and about one in four lives below the federal poverty line.
Use this data to ground your own thinking about immigration policy. If you're in a community group, a classroom, or a neighborhood meeting, these facts can replace assumptions with real numbers. If you work in social services, education, or health care, the breakdown of age, education, and income can help you understand the people you serve. And if you vote or advocate on local issues, knowing that most of Harris County's unauthorized immigrants have deep roots here — 15-plus years for the majority — adds important context to any policy conversation.
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This article pairs well with the Kinder Institute's 2025 Houston Area Survey, which found broad agreement among Harris County residents on several immigration questions — including preferences for pathways to citizenship over mass deportation. Together, the demographic data and the public-opinion research give a fuller picture of how Houston relates to this national debate.
Immigration is one of the most talked-about issues in the country right now, and the conversation often skips past the actual people involved. This data helps fill that gap. Understanding who your neighbors are — their ages, roots, work, and family lives — makes for a more grounded, honest conversation about policy. For Houstonians especially, that matters: Kinder Institute surveys show most local residents hold positive views of immigrants and prefer pathways to legal status over deportation.
