SEATTLE - It's nothing new, but a recent report conducted by the University of Idaho revealed that unauthorized immigrants play an important role in the state's economy, just like all around the United States. Estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that the overall number of unauthorized immigrants across the country reached 12.2 million in 2007 before declining to 10.5 million in 2021. Out of that number, around 35,000 live in the state of Idaho and work in industries such as agriculture, services and construction.
But a high number of immigrants living in Idaho is nothing new, it's something that has been going on for decades. In 2021, 76% of unauthorized immigrant adults reported to have been living in Idaho for six or more years, while more detailed data from 2014 showed that at least half of them had been in Idaho for more than 16 years, the longest length of stay in the nation.
