Estimating the Resident Alien Population of the United States

The alien population of the United States on June 30, 1945 is estimated on the basis of the 1940 alien registration; reported arrivals, departures and naturalizations of aliens after 1940; and an estimate of alien mortality. The estimate refers to the de jure rather than the de facto alien population, for it does not include temporary visitors and aliens illegally in the United States. The problem of estimating the number of aliens is shown to differ in several respects from that of estimating the total population. Although immigration, emigration, naturalizations and deaths are the major sources of change in the size of the alien population, an examination of immigration and nationality law and of official statistics reveals no less than 25 classes of alien arrivals, departures and changes of citizenship status that are not included in the officially reported totals of immigration, emigration and naturalization. Allowance for certain of these special classes of alien movements should be made in ...