Had no idea about Canada

[MiloMorai]

They apply for asylum before they get here?  Where did you hear that?

improve your reading comprehension

[Brooke]

They apply for asylum so are not illegals.

In 2023, there were 3.6 million "encounters".  "Encounters" are people crossing the border who are apprehended by US Border Patrol.  If they aren't apprehended, it isn't counted as an "encounter".  Thus, the number of people crossing into the US is likely substantially larger than that.
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/nationwide-encounters

In 2023, there were 800,000 asylum seekers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/21/us/politics/migrant-crisis-border-asylum.html

In recent years, 40% of asylum applications are approved.  So of those 800,000 asylum seekers, 320,000 are actual asylees.
https://usafacts.org/articles/how-many-people-seek-asylum-in-the-us/

Thus, in 2023, there were more than 3.2 million illegal immigrants.

[RUSH1]

This thread was officially endorsed by Sean Strickland.