Most Venezuelans in the US arrived within the past decade

Matt Brooks, Florida State University

In 2024, the most recent year for which data is available, an estimated 1 million immigrants from Venezuela lived in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, they make up about 2% of the total immigrant population.

We are demographers – social scientists who study population change, including immigration. With Venezuela receiving renewed attention in U.S. news, we examined available data to better understand who Venezuelan immigrants are and where they live.

Venezuelan immigrants have lived in the United States for an average of just under 10 years, far less than the nearly 23-year average for the overall immigrant population. More than half report arriving within the past five years, coinciding with Venezuela’s disputed 2018 election, in which Nicolás Maduro retained power.

Data from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics reflects this surge. Annual numbers of Venezuelans obtaining legal permanent residence – green cards – have more than doubled since 2018. Since 1999, when Hugo Chávez took office, the number of green cards issued to Venezuelans has increased by roughly 600%.

Temporary protected status, or TPS, has been central to this growth. In 2021, only about 21,000 Venezuelans held TPS. By the end of 2025, more than 600,000 had been granted the status, making Venezuelans the largest nationality under TPS. More than 200,000 were living in Florida.

Refugee and asylum numbers have also risen. In 2023, more than 5,000 Venezuelans were granted these protections. That same year, fewer than 20,000 Venezuelans received green cards – less than 2% of all new permanent residents – compared with over 180,000 granted to Mexican immigrants.

While there is no reliable estimate of undocumented immigrants by nationality, removal data offers some insight. In 2022, the federal government removed just 488 Venezuelans, suggesting most Venezuelans in the U.S. have legal status. Data from the second Trump administration is not yet available.

Citizenship rates among Venezuelans are relatively low. About 25% are U.S. citizens, compared with more than half of immigrants overall, likely reflecting their recent arrival, since green card holders typically must wait five years before applying for citizenship.

Venezuelans are highly concentrated geographically. About 40% live in Florida, with Texas a distant second at 18%. Most reside in the Miami–Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Houston, Dallas and New York City metro areas.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has blamed Maduro’s policies for Florida’s large Venezuelan population and accused the Venezuelan government of encouraging criminal activity in the state.

Like many recent immigrant groups, Venezuelans tend to have lower incomes. About 18% live in poverty, nearly double the national rate. Roughly 7% of adults are unemployed, and 19% lack health insurance. At the same time, 82% speak at least some English, and 44% of adults hold a college degree.

After Maduro’s removal was announced, Venezuelans celebrated in U.S. cities, many expressing hope of returning home. Whether that will be possible remains uncertain, as much of his administration remains in place.

In October 2025, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revoked TPS for more than 500,000 Venezuelans, and it has not been reinstated. Where this population will go next remains unclear, though Florida is likely to feel the effects most acutely.

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