Florida Surpasses California as Top State for New Green Card Holders in 2024
In fiscal 2024, Florida received the most new lawful permanent residents, edging out California as overall green-card numbers hit a decade high.
Data from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics show 1.36 million individuals achieved lawful permanent resident status in fiscal 2024, the strongest figure in ten years. Florida led with 219,470 new green cards, just ahead of California's 217,420, while Texas (160,400) and New York (136,750) rounded out the top four. Several states posted sizable gains, notably Florida's 41 % increase and Texas's 26 % rise from the previous year.
The figures reflect where recipients reside after approval, not necessarily their entry points, and include adjustment-of-status cases. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has intensified scrutiny of legal immigration, causing USCIS approval rates to slip and prompting the Labor Department to suspend Microsoft and Adobe from the PERM program, a move highlighted by Vice President JD Vance and contested by Microsoft President Brad Smith. A federal judge also ordered the State Department to reopen the 2027 Diversity Visa lottery registration.
Why it matters
The shift in green-card destinations highlights changing immigration patterns as U.S. policy tightens on legal migration.
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