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Nearly 1 in 5 immigrants in US illegally in NYC, LA areas

FILE - In this Monday, Feb. 6, 2017, file photo, people hold signs during a rally to advocating to make Bridgeport a sanctuary city outside City Hall in Bridgeport, Conn. Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim has questioned how much of the demand is coming not from inside his city but rather the neighboring, more affluent suburban towns. He held his own demonstration across the city line at the Fairfield rail station, and posted a photo of himself on social media with a sign declaring "Make Fairfield a Sanctuary City!" (Brian A. Pounds/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP)
FILE - In this Monday, Feb. 6, 2017, file photo, people hold signs during a rally to advocating to make Bridgeport a sanctuary city outside City Hall in Bridgeport, Conn. Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim has questioned how much of the demand is coming not from inside his city but rather the neighboring, more affluent suburban towns. He held his own demonstration across the city line at the Fairfield rail station, and posted a photo of himself on social media with a sign declaring "Make Fairfield a Sanctuary City!" (Brian A. Pounds/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP)

By Associated Press 2 min read

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) – A report released Thursday estimates more than 2.5 million immigrants in the country illegally live in the metropolitan areas of New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, which have pledged to fight President Trump’s plans to expand deportations.

The study by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center provides a glimpse of where immigrants in the country illegally reside and regions that could be most affected by Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

It also underscores the challenges Trump could face in rounding up large numbers of deportees because many areas that are home to large numbers of immigrants lacking legal papers oppose his plans.

Any actions by the new administration could be even more widely felt among immigrant communities in regions such as Phoenix, Houston, Dallas and Denver. In these areas, 37 percent of immigrants lack legal status, compared to 26 percent nationwide, the report said.

Immigrants in Phoenix are already starting to see tougher enforcement. A woman in the country illegally who was not targeted for deportation under the Obama administration was taken into custody Wednesday and sent back to Mexico, unleashing protests at a local Immigration and Customs Enforcement office.