New York has finally reversed years of population decline — and all it took was a massive migrant surge that surpassed the era of Ellis Island, new Census data shows.
Despite hundreds of thousands fleeing New York for cheaper living and warmer climes between 2023 and 2024, the state still saw the largest population increase of any state in the Northeast — ticking up 130,000.
Liberal sanctuary policies and generous welfare systems have also helped spur migrant population booms in California, Illinois and New Jersey.
The arrival of foreign-born immigrants offset interstate migration from these blue states, which saw Americans flocking to places like Florida, Texas, Utah, South Carolina and Nevada.
All told, more than 8 million migrants are believed to have entered the US under the Biden administration — many of them claiming to be asylum-seekers due to fleeing economic hardship in their own country.
Census data shows that 4 million migrants entered the US between 2021 and 2023, with an additional 2.8 million immigrants arriving between 2023 and 2024 — five times the 2019 figure.
Despite the migrant surge — which a recent New York Times analysis found was the largest in US history — blue states still look likely to lose out during the next apportionment of congressional seats and electoral college votes following the 2030 Census.
According to the Wall Street Journal, if trends continue California would lose four congressional seats, New York would lose two, and Illinois, Oregon, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island would each lose one.
Meanwhile, Texas and Florida would both gain four seats, and North Carolina, Arizona, Utah and Idaho all stand to add one seat.
