An Associated Press analysis of federal records provides a detailed picture of where 4.5 million migrants went after being released in the United States between October 2018 and July 2025.
The dataset, obtained from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, covers migrants from more than 150 countries and shows that many moved beyond traditional immigrant hubs such as New York and Miami to smaller cities.
Florida remained the most popular state overall, but migrants also settled in communities including Cincinnati, Salt Lake City, Louisville and Aurora, Colorado.
The AP analysis also found that destination patterns varied by nationality. Venezuelans settled in several growing metropolitan areas, while Chinese migrants largely moved to New York and Los Angeles.
The data offers a granular view of how the recent immigration surge has affected communities across the country, although some migrants may have moved after providing their initial destination addresses.
Related Tweet:
A border surge reshaped America. Now, data shows who 4.5 million migrants were and where they went https://t.co/Rjly6M6MM5
— O.C. Register (@ocregister) September 17, 2026
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TIPP Staff
