After the Trump administration announced last week that it is reviewing the valid visas of more than 55 million people, social media users began using this figure to inflate the number of noncitizens living in the U.S. by tens of millions.

Posts claimed that these 55 million visa holders, plus about 25 million or more people living in the country illegally, means that nearly a quarter to a third of the people living in the U.S. are not American citizens. The total U.S. population is about 342 million.

However, government data contradicts these figures, and experts say the estimates spreading online are highly inflated.

There were nearly 22 million noncitizens residing in the U.S. in 2023, according to the latest Census Bureau data. That includes people in the country both legally and illegally.

The 55 million visas, which includes tourist visas, is not representative of U.S. residents, as not everyone with a visa resides in the U.S.

Trump routinely inflates the number of people living in the country illegally, the majority of whom he claims entered under the Biden administration, most recently citing totals of 25 million to 30 million.

Migrants wait to climb over concertina wire Sept. 23, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas, after they crossed the Rio Grande and entered the U.S. from Mexico.

“The 55 million figure is the total number of visa-holders worldwide, not people who are currently in the United States,” said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council. “The 25 million figure for undocumented immigrants is also completely false.”

The number of people in the U.S. illegally is nearly 14 million, according to a Pew Research Center report released Thursday.

Other recent estimates cite similar figures. The Center for Immigration Studies, which calls for restricting immigration, found the number to be 14.2 million as of July. On the lower end, the Center for Migration Studies estimated 12.2 million as of mid-2023.

In 2024, there were 3.6 million people residing in the U.S. on temporary visas, such as diplomats, exchange visitors, students and temporary workers, according to the Department of Homeland Security. That does not include people with tourist visas. An additional 12.8 million people were green card holders.

Experts noted that the 55 million people with U.S. visas includes tens of millions who hold tourist visas, which can last up to 10 years, depending on one’s nationality. The State Department issued nearly 6.5 million tourist visas last year.

“I think no one would consider a tourist who comes to the U.S. for a week or two a U.S. resident,” said Michelle Mittelstadt, a spokesperson for the Migration Policy Institute.

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