A new analysis by the Cato Institute (a libertarian policy research organisation based in Washington, D.C.) finds that legal immigration to the United States has fallen far more sharply than illegal crossings under President Trump, with 132,000 fewer people admitted per month through legal pathways compared to a drop of 50,000 illegal entries per month. The report attributes the decline primarily to the suspension of immigrant visa processing for 75 countries — affecting many spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens — as well as near-total bans on asylum seekers at the southern border and severe restrictions on refugees, skilled worker visas, and international students. The findings contradict the administration's public framing of its immigration crackdown as targeting illegal entry, with study author David Bier noting that legal immigrants have historically reduced the U.S. fiscal deficit by an estimated $14.5 trillion over the past three decades.