Over the past 10 years, the U.S. has taken in 1 million Venezuelans—their arrival is far more recent than most immigrants

In 2024, the latest year for which data is available, approximately 1 million Venezuelan immigrants resided in the United States. According to the , these Venezuelans make up roughly 2% of the overall immigrant population.

We are – who focus on analyzing the evolving U.S. population, including shifts resulting from immigration.

Given currently prominent in U.S. news coverage, we wanted to examine the data to understand this immigrant community and their geographic distribution.

By the numbers

Significantly, Venezuelan immigrants have resided in the United States for an average of just 10 years, substantially shorter than the nearly 23-year average for the entire immigrant population. Over half of Venezuelan immigrants indicate they arrived in the U.S. within the last five years, aligning with the during which Nicolas Maduro remained in power.

Information from the highlights this disparity, indicating a sharp recent increase in the Venezuelan population in the U.S. Yearly totals of Venezuelans receiving , known as green cards, have more than doubled since 2018. Additionally, the quantity of green cards issued to Venezuelans has risen by 600% since 1999, when Venezuela’s , Hugo Chavez, .

Many Venezuelans currently in the U.S. arrived within the last five years under . In 2021, were present in the U.S. with this designation. By the close of 2025, over had received this status, making Venezuelans the most numerous nationality holding temporary protected status. More than 200,000 of those individuals resided in Florida.

Concurrently, the figures for and have also surged significantly in recent years. Over 5,000 Venezuelans obtained these designations in 2023.

In 2023 – the latest year for which data is available – under 20,000 Venezuelans were issued green cards, accounting for less than 2% of all newly approved permanent resident permits. By contrast, more than 180,000 green cards were awarded to Mexican immigrants that year.

Although there is no dependable information on undocumented immigrants by country of origin, the Office of Homeland Security Statistics indicates that federal authorities deported only 488 Venezuelans from the country in 2022 – . This leads us to conclude that the majority of Venezuelans residing in the United States possess legal status. However, no data is currently available on deportations during the second Trump administration.

Meanwhile, the proportion of Venezuelan immigrants who are U.S. citizens remains relatively low. The 2024 American Community Survey reveals that only one-quarter have naturalized, compared to more than half of all immigrants. Since U.S. law mandates that many green card holders must live in the U.S. for a minimum of five years before they can apply for citizenship, this discrepancy likely stems from the recent arrival of most Venezuelans.

A highly concentrated population

Venezuelans differ from other immigrant communities in terms of their settlement patterns after coming to the United States. shows that 40% of Venezuelan immigrants reside in Florida.

In fact, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has requested that the state’s Department of Justice , alleging that Maduro’s policies have caused a disproportionately large Venezuelan immigrant population in Florida. DeSantis also asserts that Maduro has fostered gang activity and drug trafficking in the Sunshine State.

Texas ranks a distant second, housing 18% of Venezuelan immigrants.

Looking more closely at the geographic distribution, Venezuelans are heavily concentrated in only a handful of cities across the nation, with the Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Houston, Dallas, and New York City metropolitan areas containing the majority of this population.

Similar to many newly arrived immigrant communities, Venezuelans in the United States generally have lower incomes. The 2024 American Community Survey indicates that 18% live below the poverty line, which is nearly twice the national average of 10.4%. Additionally, 6.9% of adults are jobless, and 19% are without any health insurance. Nevertheless, 82% of Venezuelan immigrants speak at least some English, and 44% of adults hold a college degree.

What now?

Following the announcement of Maduro’s removal, , with numerous individuals voicing their desire to return to their native country.

However, the timing and feasibility of such returns remain uncertain. While Maduro may have been removed, , potentially complicating large-scale migration back to Venezuela.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government is urging Venezuelans to go back to their country. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem for over 500,000 Venezuelan immigrants in October 2025, with immediate effect. At present, it .

The future destination of the 1 million Venezuelan immigrants in the U.S. with various legal statuses remains uncertain. Florida, in particular, will likely experience the consequences of whatever developments occur, due to its .

, Assistant Professor of Sociology, and , Professor of Sociology,

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