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Who are the undocumented immigrants in Texas?

There are estimated 1.7 million undocumented immigrants in Texas. That's one in 20 Texans. (Yuriko Schumacher/The Texas Tribune, Yuriko Schumacher/The Texas Tribune)

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A 29-year-old man in Lubbock who went out to run an errand with his wife and three kids.

Silhouette of older man

A 47-year-old Rio Grande Valley man who was driving a tractor near the farm he’s worked for more than a decade.

Silhouette of young man with jacket

An 18-year-old Venezuelan who arrived in Texas in November after securing an appointment with federal immigration officials to request asylum.

All three are among the estimated 1.7 million undocumented immigrants — or one in 20 Texans — living in the state. And all three now face deportation after President Donald Trump began a broad crackdown on illegal immigration.

After a presidential campaign defined by promises to reduce illegal immigration into the country, Trump’s first few weeks in office have been accompanied by a series of executive orders and directives that are upending the lives of undocumented immigrants across the nation.

In Texas, undocumented immigrants make up significant portions of the workforce in major industries like construction and hospitality. Many have been here for decades, own homes and small businesses and have U.S. citizen children in Texas schools. The sight of federal immigration agents searching for undocumented people in Texas cities has struck fear into immigrant communities across the state.

Here is a look at the state’s undocumented population, by the numbers:

Photo source for first illustration: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune

Get the data and visuals that accompany this story →


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