The estimated number of immigrants living illegally in Georgia fell by 25,000 to 400,000 between 2009 and 2012, largely because of a drop in Mexicans without legal status, a new Pew Research Center report shows.

Georgia is one of 14 states that saw a decrease during that time, according to the report, which is based on census data. The other states are Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, New York and Oregon.

Seven states saw increases: Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Nationally, the number of immigrants living illegally in the U.S. fell by 100,000 to 11.2 million in 2012, though Pew says that difference is not statistically significant.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Just a few of Patricia Murphy's newspaper columns, collected over the years. The column also appears online, and will continue to. (Patricia Murphy/AJC)

Credit: Patricia Murphy

Featured

An aerial view captures a large area under construction for a new data center campus on Thursday, May 29, 2025. Developed by QTS, the data center campus near Fayetteville is one of the largest under construction in Georgia. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez