Debunking the ‘65 Million Illegals’ Lie
A recent post on X by Laura Loomer highlights just how quickly a large segment of society falls for misinformation
One thing that has become evident with the advent of social media is how easily certain segments of society will fall for misinformation when it confirms their biases. This was as evident as ever on Monday when Laura Loomer employed the use of a blatant Latinophobic dog whistle when saying the country was about to start “feeding” people to alligators at Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) latest concentration camp in the Florida Everglades.
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Loomer suggested that there are 65 million “illegals” in the U.S. without providing any data or context. For someone who covers immigration and speaks up for all Latinos and every other marginalized group, it was easy for me to see who she was referring to, and it wasn’t “illegals” or even immigrants. She was talking about Latinos, of whom there are 65 million of us.
As of 2023, there were 47.8 million immigrants in the United States, three-quarters of whom were naturalized U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or lawful temporary residents. Only 23% were in the country without authorization, or about 11 million. Since then, the number has increased, but even the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), a far-right designated hate group, estimates the number of “illegals” is under 15 million (likely inflated).
In 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimated the number of unauthorized immigrants was around 11 million, while the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimated 13.7 million in 2023. These numbers, released in 2024 and 2025 respectively, are driven by data, not feelings. However, for Loomer, her argument is based on a 1980s data point and is followed by a bunch of nonsensical math that leaves out a ton of context.
For example, she and her followers aren’t accounting for death, people leaving the country, or becoming citizens, and they are leaving out the millions that were deported under every president for the last several decades. Under Bill Clinton, 12.3 million migrants left the country, with more than 11.4 million choosing to leave the U.S. Following Clinton, George W. Bush deported 10 million, and Barack Obama deported an additional 5 million. Trump and Biden combined deported more than 3 million.
That's over 30 million since the 1990s.
Meanwhile, social media users defending Loomer cite a Yale study from 2019 that argues there were 22 million “illegals” in the U.S. at the time. The study, based on demographic modeling, covers immigration to the U.S. from 1990 to 2016. Interestingly, what Loomer’s supporters who are trying to provide cover for her dog whistle ignore is a key sentence in the abstract that says, “Our results, while based on a number of assumptions and uncertainties…”
It’s worth noting that the study was discredited multiple times after its release in 2018.
Meanwhile, no matter how many times you correct Loomer, she clings to the 65 million number because she knows who she’s talking about: Latinos. I was the first to explain to her that I was aware of her dog whistle, and many others followed my lead. Millions of views later, from many of us, she insists on using that number. To make matters worse for her, when she pushed back against me, doubling down on her claim, she invoked even more racist tropes.
And her followers are happy to oblige despite the facts that are right in front of their faces. This isn’t the first time I’ve tangled with Loomer and others in Trump’s orbit, nor will it be the last. As we dive deeper into fascism, expect to see more interactions like this, and I expect more hate coming my way. THIS is why I need your support. The work is exhausting, super intense, and with more and more of Trump’s people coming for me every day, I can’t do this without you.
At the end of the day, Loomer knows that people are aware of who she’s talking about but refuses to course correct, highlighting what the real battle in this country is about: willful ignorance to justify racism and hate. The only way I know to combat that is by directly confronting those spreading hateful misinformation like Loomer, Charlie Kirk, and all the other far-right shills funded by billionaires to sow division.
Thank you so much for being here and sharing truths like this.
Math, science, and media recently embodied mask off in the Orange rapist and society are only relevant when building the corporate oligarchy.
You have once again used facts and history to make a valid argument. Willful ignorance is certainly part of it, but I have to wonder why racists still try to hide behind false facts and data. Why not just come out and say, "I hate these people."? It seems to be an acceptable statement in the Republican party these days.