New data offer a glimpse into Utah’s unauthorized immigrant population. In short, it’s grown.
As of 2023, the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute estimates 138,000 people were living in Utah with either no legal status or a “liminal” status like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, humanitarian parole, Temporary Protected Status or a pending asylum application.
That includes 78,000 people in Salt Lake County and 24,000 in Utah County.
“Even though Utah may have smaller population of other states, it doesn't make it any less significant,” said Ariel Ruiz Soto, a senior policy analyst at the nonprofit who focuses on U.S. and Latin American issues.
The new figures are part of the Washington, D.C.-based think tank’s newly updated Profile of the Unauthorized Population.
Utah’s unauthorized population has increased significantly since the group’s last estimate, which put the 2019 population at 89,000. Still, Ruiz Soto cautions against drawing specific comparisons, since the report’s methodology has changed slightly to account for lower response rates to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Communities Survey, one of the main data sources for the institute’s research.
Instead, the latest finding is a snapshot in time to understand how “undocumented immigrants are actually able to live in their community, what contributions they potentially make, what needs they have,” Ruiz Soto said.
Many immigrants have deep ties to their communities. One-third of Utah’s unauthorized population over age 15 lives with a citizen child, and nearly a quarter are married to U.S. citizens. Forty-four percent have been in the country for at least 20 years.
That offers an idea of the consequences of enforcing the Trump administration’s push for mass deportations, Ruiz Soto said.
“It is going to be more difficult, not just in practice and process, but also more consequential on the people they leave behind,” he said.
Construction is the most common line of work for unauthorized immigrants in Utah, according to the report. Those jobs might have attracted people to the state, Ruiz Soto said. But its reliance on immigrant labor also puts the industry in a vulnerable position.
Economically, unauthorized immigrants in Utah are better off than their counterparts in other states. Their rate of homeownership is 42%, compared to 31% nationally, and 16% live below the poverty line, as opposed to 20% nationwide.
“Even when we see trends that are economically, that would suggest a higher income profile, there are still different setbacks,” Ruiz Soto said, pointing to Utah’s higher rate of uninsured immigrants.
While many unauthorized immigrants in Utah have spent decades in the U.S., the state also has more newer arrivals than the national average, with 25% having lived in the country less than 5 years. Ruiz Soto credits that to Venezuelans, who are the fastest-growing large group of immigrants. They are also the second-largest group of unauthorized immigrants in Utah, behind Mexicans.
While the new data offer more insights into these populations, there are also limitations.
The population has likely changed since 2023, Ruiz Soto said. Data from The Associated Press highlights that. The Salt Lake City-Murray Metro Area has received the third most immigrants per capita of any area in the country, based on U.S. Customs and Border Protection data from 2023 through mid-January.
Utah is appealing because entry-level jobs are plentiful and don’t require fluency in English, said Joseph Genda, new American and refugee liaison with the Salt Lake County Office for New Americans. Utah’s unemployment rate is a full percentage point lower than the national average.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is also a welcoming presence, he said. Some new immigrants come because they know people living in the state. And while housing costs are increasing, it’s still relatively affordable compared to other states, he said.
With the high number of arrivals, Genda said organizations like food banks, legal services and schools have teamed up to provide resources.
“These groups came together and made things a little less stressful in terms of those that we are serving,” he said.
Going forward, he hopes people wishing to come to Utah will find opportunity in the state.
“And those that are here, I hope they'll be able to adjust their statuses and be able to live here without fear,” he said.
Macy Lipkin is a Report for America corps member who reports for KUER in northern Utah.
