Figure 2. Legal Status of Foreign-Born Population (percent of total)
By 2005 (the last year for which figures are available), naturalized citizens accounted for slightly more than one-in-two (52%) legal foreign-born residents. Among all 36 million foreign-born residents in 2005, naturalized citizens made up a slim plurality (35%) over legal non-citizens (33%) and unauthorized migrants (31%). In 1995, legal non-citizens had accounted for a near majority (47%) of the 24 million foreign-born residents who were in the country at the time, compared with 30% who were naturalized citizens and 20% who were unauthorized migrants.
While the number of legal permanent residents admitted to the U.S. has risen in recent years, the number of naturalized citizens has grown even more rapidly (Appendix Table 2). In fact, because so many new immigrants have become citizens, the size of the legal non-citizen population has barely grown since the mid-1990s.
Figure 2. Legal Status of Foreign-Born Population  | 1995 and 2005  | (percent of total)  | 47%  | 35%  | 1995 2005  | 33%  | 30%  | 31%  | 20%  | 3%  | 2%  | Naturalized Citizens  | Legal Tem porary  | Unauthorized  | Legal Permanent  | Res ident Aliens  | Migrants  | Source Pew Survey Hispanic Center tabulations of augmented March supplements to the Current  | Population Survey Figures for 2005 add to more than 100% due to rounding 