Number of Undocumented Aliens Residing in the United States Unknown

A reliable estimate of the number of undocumented aliens residing in the United States is not available and is unlikely in the immediate future. The size of the undocumented alien population will be an important consideration for Congress in reviewing the findings and recommendations of the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy. Legislators may wish to weigh the desirability and feasibility of any proposed actions on a best and worst case basis. What may seem right premised on an undocumented alien population of 1 or 2 million could be inappropriate if this population was actually 10 million or more.