Federal records obtained by The Associated Press show how migrants from more than 150 countries traveled to New Jersey, with established immigrant communities shaping where many settled.
More than 200,000 migrants who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border between 2018 and 2025 told federal authorities that New Jersey was their intended destination, according to an analysis of newly obtained federal records.
The figure puts New Jersey among the top destinations for migrants released into the United States after crossing the southern border, behind Florida, Texas, California and New York. The data provide an unusually detailed picture of where migrants said they planned to go after entering the country.
The Associated Press obtained federal records covering about 4.5 million migrants who crossed into the United States from Mexico between October 2018 and July 2025 through a Freedom of Information Act request and shared the data with NJ.com.
Where did migrants go in New Jersey?
The records show that migrants identified destinations in 523 of New Jersey’s 564 municipalities.
Many reported plans to travel to communities with long-established immigrant populations, including Newark, Paterson, Trenton, Plainfield, Elizabeth, Jersey City, Irvington, Union City and West New York.
Immigration experts cited in the report said family networks, friends, employment opportunities and established cultural communities can influence where newcomers choose to settle.
Lori Nessel, a Seton Hall Law School professor and director of its Immigrants’ Rights/International Human Rights Clinic, said existing family and community connections can make the transition to a new country easier.
The data also show that New Jersey’s migration story is highly diverse. The leading nationalities among those identifying the state as their destination included people from Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras, Brazil, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
Ecuadorians made up the largest group
Ecuador emerged as the largest nationality among migrants who identified New Jersey as their destination.
More than 36,000 Ecuadorians were recorded in the data, including more than 9,800 who said they were headed to Newark. About 3,500 identified Plainfield as their destination and nearly 2,000 listed Elizabeth.
Researchers cited in the report pointed to several factors behind the increase in Ecuadorian migration, including rising violence and economic pressures. Another factor was Ecuadorians’ visa-free access to Mexico between 2018 and 2021, which made it possible for some migrants to fly to Mexico before traveling north to the U.S. border.
Rutgers University professor Ulla D. Berg said established migration networks also played a role. Ecuadorians had historically migrated to New York before expanding into New Jersey, creating communities that could help subsequent arrivals.
Paterson became a major destination for Peruvians
Paterson has also developed a strong connection with Peruvian migration, dating back to the city’s textile-industry era.
More than 4,200 Peruvians identified Paterson as their destination between 2018 and 2025, while about 1,300 Venezuelans also listed the city.
The broader data show nearly 24,000 Colombians identifying New Jersey as their destination, with about 2,900 headed for Elizabeth. Around 14,000 Haitians also reported New Jersey destinations, including more than 4,000 who identified East Orange or Irvington.
What the data cannot tell us
The records show where migrants said they intended to go, rather than proving where they ultimately lived.
U.S. authorities do not routinely verify whether migrants reached the addresses they provided. Some may have moved elsewhere, left the country or never reached their stated destination. The data therefore provide a picture of intended destinations rather than a definitive population count.
The national AP analysis similarly cautions that the records represent self-reported destinations. The dataset covers migrants released into the United States after crossing the Mexican border, both through illegal crossings and official ports of entry, and excludes people without usable destination information.
Immigration remains a major New Jersey debate
The influx has also placed New Jersey at the center of the wider U.S. immigration debate.
Republican lawmakers cited in the report have argued that large numbers of migrants create financial pressures for taxpayers, while immigration advocates and researchers have emphasized the contributions of immigrant communities to local economies and public services.
The debate has intensified as federal immigration enforcement has expanded under President Donald Trump. The report notes increased enforcement activity in Newark and continuing legal disputes over New Jersey’s so-called sanctuary policies.
At the same time, the National Academies of Sciences has previously found that the long-term overall effects of immigration on wages and employment of U.S.-born workers are small, although impacts can differ among groups.
The newly analyzed records add a different dimension to the debate: they show not simply how many people crossed the southern border, but where migrants planned to build their next chapter — and how family, community and existing immigrant networks helped shape those choices.
