3 KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Sixth highest reliance: California ranks #6 out of 51 with an Unauthorized Immigrant Reliance Score of 75.32 out of 100, with unauthorized immigrants comprising 8.20% of its total labor force, the fourth highest workforce share in the entire ranking.
- Low population share masks high workforce impact: Despite having the lowest unauthorized immigrant share among all immigrants in the top 10 at just 20%, California's massive labor force share of 8.20% confirms that undocumented workers play an outsized economic role.
- Scale of exposure: As the most populous state in the country, California's 8.20% labor force share translates into the largest absolute number of unauthorized workers of any state, making the potential economic disruption from mass deportation greater than anywhere else.
Unauthorized immigrants have long been an essential part of California's economic foundation. With unauthorized immigrants comprising 8.20% of the state's total labor force, the fourth highest share in the country, California ranks #6 out of all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia on the Unauthorized Immigrant Reliance Score, earning 75.32 out of 100. As the most populous state in the nation, California's reliance on undocumented workers across agriculture, construction, and hospitality is unmatched in absolute scale, and mass deportation would not just disrupt its labor markets, it would send shockwaves through the broader American economy.
This report was produced by The Mendoza Law Firm, analyzing unauthorized immigrant population and labor force participation data across all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia for 2023. States were ranked by a composite Unauthorized Immigrant Reliance Score accounting for both workforce reliance and immigrant population share. Full methodology and sources appear at the end of this report.
California At A Glance
| Metric | Value |
| U.S. State | California |
| Unauthorized Immigrants % of All Immigrants | 20% |
| Unauthorized Immigrants % of Labor Force | 8.20% |
| Unauthorized Immigrant Population Score (30) | 12 |
| Unauthorized Immigrant Workforce Score (70) | 63 |
| Unauthorized Immigrant Reliance Score (100) | 75.32 |
| National Reliance Rank | 6 of 51 |
Where California Stands Among the Most Economically Exposed States
Table 1: Top 10 States by Unauthorized Immigrant Reliance Score (2023)
| Rank | State | Unauthorized Immigrants % of All Immigrants | Unauthorized Immigrants % of Labor Force | Unauthorized Immigrant Reliance Score |
| 1 | Nevada | 33% | 9.10% | 90.20 |
| 2 | Texas | 34% | 8.60% | 86.97 |
| 3 | Florida | 29% | 8.90% | 86.22 |
| 4 | New Jersey | 25% | 8.70% | 82.23 |
| 5 | Maryland | 32% | 7.40% | 76.51 |
| 6 | California | 20% | 8.20% | 75.32 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 29% | 7.40% | 74.68 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | 31% | 6.40% | 68.21 |
| 9 | Utah | 41% | 5.50% | 67.41 |
| 10 | Illinois | 28% | 6.20% | 64.84 |
California ranks 6th despite the lowest population share in the top 10 at just 20%, sustained entirely by a labor force share of 8.20%, the fifth highest in the group. Its low population score of 12 out of 30 is the sole factor preventing a higher ranking, keeping it just 1.19 points behind 5th-ranked Maryland.
How California Compares to the States with the Least Unauthorized Immigrant Labor Reliance by U.S. Region
Table 2: California vs. Bottom 5 States by Unauthorized Immigrant Reliance Score (2023)
| Rank | State | Unauthorized Immigrant Reliance Score | Difference vs. California |
| 6 | California | 75.32 | -- |
| 47 | New Hampshire | 26.09 | -49.23 |
| 48 | Maine | 22.24 | -53.08 |
| 49 | Vermont | 19.18 | -56.14 |
| 50 | West Virginia | 18.85 | -56.47 |
| 51 | Montana | 13.64 | -61.68 |
California's score of 75.32 is more than five and a half times higher than Montana's 13.64, a gap of 61.68 points. Its labor force share of 8.20% is more than 16 times greater than Montana's 0.50%, and in absolute terms California's unauthorized workforce is the largest in the country, meaning the gap in real economic exposure is even wider than the scores alone suggest.
California vs. Neighboring States
Table 4: California Compared to Western Neighbors by Unauthorized Immigrant Reliance Score (2023)
| Rank | State | Unauthorized Immigrant Reliance Score | Difference vs. California |
| 6 | California | 75.32 | -- |
| 1 | Nevada | 90.20 | =+14.88 |
| 9 | Utah | 67.41 | -7.91 |
| 17 | Arizona | 57.76 | -17.56 |
| 29 | Oregon | 48 | -27.25 |
| 31 | Idaho | 44 | -31.27 |
California ranks second among its western neighbors, trailing only Nevada which sits nearly 15 points higher. Oregon and Idaho fall more than 27 points behind, while Arizona sits roughly 18 points lower despite sharing a significant border economy with California. Among its neighbors, California is clearly in the upper tier, but Nevada's dominance confirms that the Golden State is not the West's most exposed economy.
Methodology
The study analyzed unauthorized immigrant population and labor force data across all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia for 2023. Two metrics were calculated and combined into a composite Unauthorized Immigrant Reliance Score Index scaled from 0 to 100: unauthorized immigrant workers as a share of each state's total labor force, weighted at 70 points, and unauthorized immigrants as a share of the total immigrant population, weighted at 30 points. States were then ranked by this index to determine where reliance on unauthorized immigrant labor is greatest and economic disruption from mass deportations would likely be most severe.
Data Sources
- U.S. Unauthorized Immigrant Population: https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2025/08/21/u-s-unauthorized-immigrant-population-reached-a-record-14-million-in-2023/
- Unauthorized Immigrants in the Labor Force for States, 2023: https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/08/RE_2025.08.21_Unauthorized-immigrants_detailed-tables_labor-force-by-state.xlsx
- Research Dataset: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SQVeQ044tbND0xGS_WpWCFZu0BCrwTrwcze3plj1SxM/edit?gid=0#gid=0
- Study by: https://mendozafirm.com/
About The Mendoza Law Firm
The Mendoza Law Firm is an immigration law practice helping individuals and families navigate the U.S. immigration system. With a focus on community advocacy and accessible legal support, the firm serves underserved populations while raising awareness about public safety issues affecting communities across the country.
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